12 Years Later
by I'monteamedward
Summary: Edward and Bella live together in an orphanage until an abusive family takes him away. When they finally meet 12 years later, Edward just wants to be left alone. Bella tries to help Edward be happy but she only creates an egotistical monster. AH
1. 12 years ago

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. (Which is, unfortunately, very obvious.)

a/n: You all know I love reviews (I mean who doesn't?) but it would be really REALLY nice if you guys could make an extra special effort. I just fractured my leg and I can't go ANYWHERE (besides school. Blech.) so I'm counting on you people to give me reviews to look forward to!

Longer summary: This first chapter is of Edward and Bella in an orphanage 12 years ago (so they'd be five and six.) They were BFF's until someone came to take him away…. The family that adopted him was abusive and now Edward's a loner. How will this couple rekindle their friendship and turn it into something more? This chapter is in third person but the rest will be in Bella's POV.

**Chapter 1: 12 years ago…**

"Edward?" The small girl called from her even smaller room (we're being proportionate here, people). No answer.

"Edward?" she questioned again, but still too tired to throw herself from her warm bed. She moaned and rolled over, now facing the empty room, save a bed and two dressers. The echo of her voice confirmed what she thought; everyone was getting breakfast. Just as the five year old finished pulling on the standard white T-shirt and sweatpants, a handsome child walked through the door. His emerald green eyes and strangely colored bronze hair had always intrigued the girl.

"There you are!" he cried. "Miss Patterson has been looking all over for you."

"I'm sorry. I… had _the dream_ again. I couldn't sleep so now I'm all tired."

The boy's features immediately softened. "You know that dream isn't true, Bella," he murmured, sitting next to her on the hard bed. "You'll get adopted by a loving family and everything will be fine. Trust me. I know."

"How do you know?" Bella demanded. "You're only six! That hardly makes you Supreme Mister Know-It-All of Edward Land."

This was the greatest insult of all. Edward's chin was pointed impertinently at the ceiling. He tried to think of a reasonable retaliation to his friend's anger. He was mature; or so he thought. He could deal with this maturely. Yeah. Right.

"I… just… know! Now stop pestering me. I'm going to play with the _six year old blocks_!" Edward turned, his chin still in the air, and marched off to play with the other children, leaving Bella to deal with her emotional distress alone. At the orphanage, the five year olds were considered too "immature" to play with the solid wood blocks and were instead stuck with the cardboard ones which, as Bella would call later in life, "crappy".

A few days later, a mousy looking couple with a loud, annoying baby came searching for a "big brother for our little baby girl here". Edward tried to hide under his bed with Bella (their small fight now forgotten) but in the end Miss Patterson dragged him out and he was gone within the hour. His only goodbye to his only friend at that orphanage was comforting her when she cried onto his shoulder.

"Bella. We'll be fine. I'm sure we'll see each other again."

"How do you know?" she sobbed hysterically.

"Because I'm Supreme Mister Know-It-All of Edward Land," he grinned as she smacked his shoulder with the strength of a newborn kitten. "Love you, Bella."

"Love you, too, Edward," she sniffed.

"Bye," he whispered and was almost out the door when Bella screamed,

"WAIT! I have to give you something! Anything…."

"Okay, I'll give you something too," he said and began to dig around in his suitcase.

Bella came up with a bracelet with a few girly charms on it. She pulled them off and handed him the simple chain.

"I know it's not much… but I want you to remember me, Edward," she murmured shyly.

"How could I forget? You're my best friend!" he laughed incredulously. "Ah! Here we go! You can take my— hey!" he cried out in pain as his new mother jerked his collar back. The shock caused his hands to automatically wave around wildly. Something cracked and splintered against a wall near one of the two dressers.

"No," Bella whispered.

"Enough goodbyes! Let's get out of this shit-hole," she said harshly, stretching the elastic around his neck.

"But I—!" he protested.

"I'll say goodbye for you," she said to him, her voice sickly sweet; like adding sugar to honey. Then she focused her glare upon the poor girl trembling in the corner. "Goodbye! He'll never see you again!"

"No! Wait! She's my best friend! Please!" he begged and shouted as the surprisingly strong woman dragged him back. She smacked him much harder than Bella ever had, and on the back of his head.

"Ow!" he moaned, tears in his young eyes.

"No!" Bella cried out for the first time. "Don't hurt him! He's your son!" She had immediately taken a disliking to Edward's new mother. He deserved better.

The woman laughed raucously. "Yes, he is my son and I will do with him what I please." Her voice sounded ominous and even her new son didn't argue with her after that. And then he was gone. Bella didn't know if his predictions would come true or not. She hoped they did, but would they even recognize each other by then?

"Edward," Bella whispered, feeling entirely lost for the first time in her life. She would not forget.

She moved like a ghost to the place where the unknown item had fallen. A cheap, metal chain was coiled gracefully on the floor along with a broken, heart shaped piece of wood.

No, she would not forget.

**So… what did you all think? I **_**hope**_** you liked it but if you don't, I respect your opinion. But, I can't respect your opinion if you don't express it in the first place so be a good person. Review. Review. Wait, did I mention to review? No? Oh okay. R-E-V-I-E-W!!!!! (please)**


	2. 12 years later

Disclaimer: I own nothing!!!

a/n: Oh. My. Good golly gosh. You guys are AMAZING! I got 9 reviews, 8 favs, and 13 alerts in less than twenty four hours. FOR ONLY ONE CHAPTER!! I know a lot of people get that, no problem, but this is HUGE for me. I'd like to thank you all soooo much! But now… I'm going to expect at least that amount every time! You don't know what you've gotten yourselves into…. ANYway, your thank you is getting this next chapter so soon! Xoxoxo becky.

**Chapter Two: Is that him?**

_Bella's POV- 12 years later... (Bella is 17, Edward is 18)_

"Bella!" Charlie yelled from downstairs.

"Charlie!" I whined, ripping the pillow out from under my head and throwing it over my face. And of course nearly suffocating myself in the process.

"Bella," he called threateningly.

I sighed. Charlie was great, he really was, but did he really have to get me up so damn early? He had always been an early riser, even from the time I was seven, when I was adopted. Adopted… that reminded me of Edward. I sighed again. I didn't know why I was still thinking of that adorable, kind, caring, loving little six year old that had been my only friend at that orphanage.

At times like these, I always got my heart chain out. I had begged Charlie to buy me some wood glue five minutes after I had walked through the door. I had never explained to him why an oddly shaped piece of wood held so much meaning to a five year old girl and he never asked. Our relationship was a "unless you're doing drugs and/or having premarital sex, I don't want to hear it" kind of relationship. But I knew he loved me and he knew I loved him.

I fingered the soft wood in my hands, tracing its scar with a fingernail. It was so… representative of my feelings for him. Without Edward, I was never whole, complete. My heart had a scar on it. And I never knew what happened to him with that woman. I shuddered, unsuccessfully blocking the memory I had repressed for twelve years.

"Bella!" Charlie thundered, pounding on my door. "School starts in forty five minutes! Get your butt in the shower, missy! Or you're walking!"

"I have a car," I grumbled to myself but flung my warm comforter off my body and hopped out of bed. But hopping was not a good idea and I stubbed my toe on an extremely incontinently placed desk chair. I was sure Charlie had put it there in my sleep, trying to _make _me hurt myself.

"Agh! God damn it all! Man down!" I screamed, jumping around comically like they did in cartoons. But pain combined with jumping was overall _not _a good idea and I fell flat on my face.

Charlie snorted outside my door. I hadn't realized he was still listening.

"Forty three minutes," he reminded me. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, alright! Let me just check if my nose is broken! Not that you'd care!" I cried dramatically, while laughing.

" I gotta go so have a nice first day of school, Bella," he said, kissing the top of my head.

"Love you, Dad."

"Love you, too, Bells!" He called up the stairs.

I raced into the shower and let the soothing warmth of the shower and familiar smell of my shampoo calm the butterflies in my stomach. My anxiety was kicked into overdrive. I had this obsessive need for everything to be perfect on the first day of school. I was a junior, supposedly the beginning of the best years of high school. I doubted it. Forks was tiny. It could have been considered a village with the population adding up to a grand total of 3,120, a third of which was probably the high school itself. Seniors were nice to the freshman and the freshmen were friends with the juniors. It was just unnatural.

After I had dried my hair to perfect straightness, I climbed into my old truck that I told Charlie I loved but actually hated. It smelled like the outdoors. I wasn't really a "happy camper" when it came to the outside.

Me and "Old Red" rumbled down the highway to Forks High School where we were greeted with an empty parking lot. Great. Charlie's weekly anxiety attack had made me a half hour early for school on my very first day. I sighed and went over to sit next to a girl finishing her summer math packet.

"Hey," I said quietly. I might as well make new friends fast, before the cliques had time to form. I usually didn't do that type of thing, you know; say hi first and all that but I did need some human contact besides Charlie.

"Good morning! You must be the new girl, Isabella Swan! You're Charlie's kid, right?" She said this very fast and I had no time to process and respond before she said, "Oh, my! Where are my manners? I'm Jessica Stanley, the junior class president," she told me proudly, tossing her ridiculously frizzy brown curls. "And I'm editor of the school newspaper. I'm sure we'll be great friends." Crap. I had talked to a prep. Now my social status was set. I was hoping for geek chic.

"Oh! Uh, that's great… uh, Melissa? No! No, wait… uh… Jessie? But, I gotta go, guess I'll see you around," I fumbled as I rushed away. "Oh!" I called back to her. "It's Bella, not Isabella!"

I decided to go to the office considering I had no idea what my schedule was. I was greeted by a lady with a dead cat lying on her head (not literally). She appeared completely unconcerned with the state of her hair.

"Good morning, Isabella!" I didn't bother correcting her. "Your dad, Charlie, called this morning saying you'd be in here for your schedule," she reached behind her to grab the only schedule card there. Great. I was the one and only new kid.

"Here you are," she continued, oblivious to my current panic attack. "Just get each of your teachers to sign in these boxes here," she pointed with a badly painted, fake fingernail. "and you'll be on your way to success at Forks High School. Have a nice day, Isabella." She finally finished giving me the info by waving a wrinkly hand royally. Ah, yes. The queen of the office.

I tried to make myself invisible. But a new kid who makes the population 3,121 is bound to attract attention. Like ants to sugar water, to be more specific.

"Hi!" A perky, blond boy said right in my ear. "My name is Mike Newton! And no, I'm not related to Isaac Newton, the famed phys…phys…physicist!" Yeah, you could really mix those two up. "Oh!" he cried, sounding excited which meant my apocalyptic doom was approaching. "You're in my English, math, _and _Biology classes! Oh my gosh! Isn't this amazing?" He looked at me expectantly, as if I were about to start jumping around and screaming with him.

"Yay," I stated half-heartedly.

"Come, on, Bella! It's time for lunch!" Jessica squealed, tugging on my arm. Hard. Then she noticed Mike. "Oh, _hello_, Michael. Care to join us for a spot of tea— oh, God! I mean lunch! Lunch! Yes, yes! Normal lunch," Jessica stumbled over her words, her sultry smile quickly fading.

"No way. Bye, Bella!" Mike said rudely, leaving Jessica dumbstruck.

"Oh, Jess. It's okay. Mike's being an ass," I comforted her.

"Yeah. See you later, Bella," she stormed off in the direction of the girls bathroom, a few tears escaping her eyes. God, what a drama queen. She acted like it was my fault Mike didn't like her back.

I sighed and headed to the lunchroom alone. I had just gotten out of the lunch line clutching my newly purchased pizza and chips (not the healthiest thing I could have picked, I know) when I ran into an inconveniently placed brick pillar. My food went everywhere and I went everywhere. My head hit the ground and my body followed soon after.

"Ungh," I groaned, rubbing my head. The cafeteria went dead silent but the noise level picked up in about three seconds. Of course, none of my new "friends" came over to see if I was alright.

A few feet away, I heard a delicious laugh, which I automatically assumed to be directed at my plight. I focused my "Bella is pissed off" glare in the direction of the sound but my eyes widened when I saw who I was being mad at.

The piercingly green emerald eyes, the tousled bronze hair; I knew that person. I told myself not to be disappointed when I found out it wasn't him. After all, I was looking for one person in who knows how many billions. But then, I saw _it._ The thing I knew _my _Edward would never, ever give up. After all, he had promised. He was returning my disbelieving stare and picked up a hand to run it through his beautiful hair. On his wrist was a simple chain.

**Ha! Cliffie! And I'm going away for the weekend. I know; I'm evil. Of course, I could **_**not **_**update when I get home… I'd suggest reviewing. They're the things that make me super, super happy!!**

**Xoxo becky…**


	3. Biology Class

Disclaimer: Sighhhhhhh…. Not mine….

a/n: You guys are fantastically amazing!!! I've never EVER had this many reviews/alerts/favs for one chapter. It's so fun checking my email in the morning and having my inbox overloaded! Keep it up! And here's chapter three as promised.

**Chapter Three: Biology Class**

I sat on the floor, bits of salad in my hair and newly formed pizza sauce stains on my shirt. But I really couldn't care less at the moment because I was staring like an idiot at the single person I had been looking for for 12 years.

I looked at him closely. Everything about him screamed: HOTNESS! But I couldn't allow myself to think that way. It would ruin everything. Though I was sure he remembered me, I definitely _wasn't _sure I was on the same level of attractiveness as the god sitting before me, let alone on the same scale. And that scale would have been floating around in a different world in a different solar system in a different universe. After all, I was the girl with the brown hair with the brown eyes and an open bag of popcorn down her bra.

But before I had the chance to talk to Adonis himself, a gorgeous girl who looked like she had eaten nothing but Pixie Stix for her entire life jumped out of her seat.

"Ohmigosh! Bella, are you alright?" she screamed, appearing at my side.

"Yeah…." I responded intelligently, not bothering to ask how she knew my name was Bella. I could practically hear the drool dripping out of my mouth.

"Um, Bella? Do you have a concussion or something else I should know about?" The kind girl's eyes widened to the point where her eyebrows reached her forehead. "Cause my dad's a doctor and he can deal with this type of stuff. He doesn't mind when I skip so we could get you changed cause I practically have a closet in my locker and we could leave and go to the hospital but I guess that wouldn't really require skipping because you _are _injured after all but Ms. Cope wouldn't let you leave cause she's an ass and—," she babbled tirelessly until I interrupted her.

"Hey! I get the idea… hey, what's your name?" I asked.

"Ohmigosh! HAHAHA!" she laughed crazily. I scooted back. _Just a little farther until I'm out of her range…._ "My name is Alice! Alice Cullen! My dad's Doctor Cullen, you know the one who works at the hospital?" I looked at her blankly. "OH! DUHHHH! Of course you don't know! You just moved here! Silly me!" she shrieked at herself and smacked her forehead with what seemed the force of a moving truck. I scooted back again. "Oh, right! We can't have you going to class like _that_! People will laugh. Come on, Bella. I've got some clothes back in my locker for emergencies like this. Although," she began, scanning my outfit with a practiced eye. "I think I might have offered to help even if you hadn't run into that wall."

She dragged me out of the room before I could talk to Edward. But I enjoyed her company once she had calmed down. I knew I would love her like a sister.

We strolled casually to her locker on the first floor, ducking teachers with passes Alice forged. I learned that Alice can't sing, has a fear of red vegetables (which got us started on the tomato fruit or vegetable debate), and loves shopping. She learned that I think carrots are disgusting, that I was adopted, and my parents, Charlie and Renee, are divorced.

"So how'd your parents get divorced?" she asked as she pulled out a gorgeous, grey, form fitting sweater for me. It looked like it was worth 10,000 dollars. I discreetly read the label. Juicy Couture? Oh my God, they were rich.

"Well, to be honest, I don't really know. I guess it just… didn't work out anymore," I shrugged. She tossed me a pair of artfully faded jeans. She slammed her locker closed, earning a dirty look from a passing administrator. She smiled sweetly which was what caused the cocky bastard to wink at her then trip over nothing. That was my job! Well, not to drool over Alice's feminine perfection but to trip over nothing. Tripping over nothing and my slightly above average grades were the only things I had going for me.

"I don't think I believe that," Alice told me on our way back to the cafeteria.

"You think I'm lying to you?" I asked incredulously. Why would I lie to her?

"No. Just… well, whose decision was it to get divorced?" she questioned slowly.

"I guess Renee's. Actually, now that you mention it… Charlie never seemed to want to go with the whole thing." The more I thought about it the more I realized a sad truth; Charlie was still in love with Renee. I told Alice my conclusion.

"That makes sense from what you've told me of them," she nodded in approval. "Renee hates small and green, right? So what better place to go than the small, green town of Forks?"

"The perfect avoidance town," I murmured. I sighed. Poor Charlie. Always doing what was best for the other person. They could have tried to work it out but Charlie automatically gave Renee what she wanted. He really needed to think of himself once in a while.

After I hastily bought another lunch and ate on my way to my locker, Mike came up to me. What I really wanted to do was find Edward's last name and stake out his locker and find out if he was okay and if his mother had turned out okay and to maybe, possibly make out with him in front of everyone. Oh, God. I was ashamed to even think that.

I blushed bright red and Mike asked if I had a fever.

"No. I do not have a fever, Mike. I just have pale skin which makes my blushes more noticeable. Now, go to class or you'll be late!" I instructed and turned on my heel towards my Biology class.

"But… we have Biology together. Don't you remember?" he whimpered like a kicked puppy. Usually, my conscience had kicked in by now but Mike's whiny tone of voice was annoying me. I had to find out if Edward was in my next class!

"Alright! Come on, Michael," I said and fast-walked to my next class with Mike the dog on my heels.

"No, no, no! Damn it, I ordered that pizza an hour ago so it would be here _on time for my LUNCH HOUR!_" My teacher, Mr. Banner, was screaming into a cell phone. All us students crept in taking seats next to our friends. Unfortunately, Mike staked a claim on the seat next to me. I checked the room for that blaze of bronze that I had been searching for so long.

Finally, I spotted him sitting alone in the back corner of the room. I waved frantically. He didn't notice. The smirk on his perfect face revealed he was enjoying Mr. Banner's monologue.

"Well, you know what? You owe me 20 bucks, that's what! Soon my students will," he looked up for the first time to see us all staring at him. "be here," he finished lamely. He hung up the phone. "Well, don't just sit there! Get your stuff! It's assigned seating!" he yelled. We groaned in unison, except for Edward, who looked like he just didn't care.

"Sandy Albernot and Justin Wu," he said, gesturing at the black, hard-topped table in front of him.

"That's not assigned seating!" some idiot protested. Mr. Banner rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps, Steven, if you had actually used your brains, you would have realized I was taking one person from the beginning of the alphabet and one person from the end. If you have any more problems with _my_ seating arrangements you may tell me after school during detention. Now, Jessica Boly and Samantha Tellerman." The said girls grabbed their things and smacked them onto the table. They glared at each other. The bitch fight would soon begin. "Alrighty then! Next up, Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan!"

I was squealing inside. I was sitting next to him. We could talk all we wanted! I was so excited!

I plopped down in my chair and waited for him to run over and for us to talk until dawn. He moseyed his way over and sat quietly in his chair. If I had been looking in the opposite direction I wouldn't have known he was sitting there.

"Edward!" I squealed under my breath. I hugged him around his waist. I felt butterflies but I also felt safe and protected and… not in his arms anymore.

"Who do you think you are?" he demanded angrily. "You think you can just sit next to me and be best friends and hug me? What's wrong with you?" I stared at him in shock. This was not the same Edward I had me behind all those years ago.

"But… but…," I sputtered, my voice dying like an engine on the highway. "But we're best friends! Don't you remember me at all?" To my horror I felt tears of rejection pool in my eyes. Did he not know who I was? I had memorized his features, down to every last freckle. I would know his face anywhere, even if he had painted his face black and dyed his hair green.

"I don't know you," he stated rudely and turned to the front where Mr. Banner was telling the rules of the class.

"What happened to you? You used to be so… kind, so loving! I… loved you!" I whispered furiously.

"A lot happened," he told me harshly.

For the rest of the period, I wrote him notes, I tapped his shoulder but he was like a rock, oblivious to my attempts to get him out of his little shell. I even hugged him, trying to get him angry but to no avail.

I was crushed. Did our time at the orphanage mean nothing to him? Was I just a child's play toy? I had thought I had a real friend, one that didn't just disappear when I needed them, like Jessica and Mike. Edward, I had thought, would always be there for me. I had thought that this would be our big reunion. I suppose I was wrong.

I needed to talk to him without thirty other prying eyes.

In the last fifteen seconds of class, I stretched slowly. And yawned. With five seconds left, I took control of my hand that was still yawning and grabbed the chain pulled tight around his wrist. He looked into my eyes with uncontrolled fury in his eyes, as if he guessed what I was going to do. I pulled as the bell rang and ran in the hall, his bracelet clenched tightly in the iron grip of my hand.

**Sorry for the cliffies! It's just funny to read your guys' reaction. Hope you liked this chapter and even if you didn't, REVIEW! Come on, it makes me super super happy! (Like Alice armed with Pixie Stix happy.) **


	4. Explanation

Disclaimer: Not mine, not yours, yada yada yada.

a/n: Review wise, chapter three was better than chapter one, but not as completely and totally AWESOME as chapter two. I don't care if you already reviewed or not, just review! Your comments make me happy and inspire me to write longer chapters (which some of you have suggested I do via reviewing!)

another a/n: hey. Does anyone mind if I make anyone cuss freely? It is rated teen after all.

**Chapter four: Explanation **

I ran down the hallway, dodging jocks and cheerleaders, the bracelet clenched tightly in my hand. Luckily, I had worn tennis shoes today. Charlie had insisted on getting them for me saying my normal black flats weren't ample protection from the Olympian rains.

"Whoever you are, stop!" I heard from behind me. I knew it was Edward chasing after me. Newly formed tears blurred my vision. I hadn't changed that much! I didn't look that different. Why was it that _I_ knew him but he didn't know me? He must have not liked me very much. I must have just been his annoying little stalker at the orphanage.

I could feel him sprinting desperately right behind me as I shot out the door. Somehow misery and adrenaline combined made me faster than a long legged, 18 year old guy. Usually I was the person who was bright red by the end of the mile. My lungs currently were collapsing and I was sobbing, the tears whipping out behind me along with my long, straight hair.

"Please, I know your name! It's Bella, right?" he called. I had enough of his bullshit. I was tired, I was sweaty, and I was a freaking hysterical basket case.

Now we were far enough away from the school that no one could hear or see us. I stopped suddenly and somehow he managed to avoid smashing into a tree and killing himself like I would have done. He turned around slowly, unexpected grace in his steps.

"You jackass! You can have your God-damned bracelet back! I don't want it anymore! I don't know you!" I sobbed. I had been pining away for twelve years, _years_, for this fantastic boy and he didn't even remember me. I couldn't stand the agony of it all. I fell to the ground, holding my pounding head in my hands. "You don't even remember me. You didn't even try!"

"Hey, don't blame me for this. Just because you're my sister's new best friend doesn't mean I have to remember you," he rolled his green eyes, as if it were that simple. Wait… he was Alice's brother? That horrible woman must have been married to the doctor. That was just another thing she would have to explain to me, if I could ever talk again.

"What the f*ck is wrong with you?" I screamed. I willed him to remember me. Willed him to remember the five year old Bella at least. If he didn't... everything was lost. All my happy memories... down the drain. I'd look at every second he had spent with me, re-reading every glance, re-thinking every inflection of his voice. Eventually, I'd realize that he had never loved me. No one had. Mom and Dad had left me on the steps of the orphanage when I was born. They didn't love me. If Edward didn't... my childhood would be meaningless.

I spoke in a calmer voice. "I know a lot of things about you. I know you were adopted. I know your adoptive mother was a bi*ch. I know you only had one friend at that horrible orphanage." I looked into the emeralds that were his eyes. There was nothing but disbelief in his eyes. No recognition. No remorse. No nothing. I finally gave up on my best friend and prepared for the hurt to come.

"A five year old named Bella," I continued, in a hoarse whisper. Realization dawned on his face. "She had brown hair and brown eyes and she loved you so much. But when she grew up and came to the same high school as you, you didn't even recognize her when she remembered _everything. _Especially this bracelet."

The tears ran silently down my cheeks. I stood slowly and faced him. His face was ashen and it looked like he was choking on something.

"Are you even going to say anything?" I asked in disbelief. He couldn't just stand there. He couldn't. He _wouldn't_. But he did. I thought I knew him. I guess I was wrong.

I closed my eyes, feeling the disappointment wash through me. He had changed. I didn't know why and I didn't know how but he had changed. I exhaled slowly and grabbed his wrist and put the chain back on.

I waited for him to say something, _anything _at all, but he was just gaping at me like a fish. "Did everything just mean nothing to you then?" I questioned. I had to know. But he again said nothing at all.

I turned away from him. I had to get home. I had to get into my pajamas, eat ice cream, and laugh at how I had ever expected him to remember a little girl. But I didn't think Ben and Jerry's would heal this hurt. It had scarred me more than I had ever thought possible.

"No, wait. Bella!" he yelled as I ran away to my house.

"Ha! You try to talk to me now, not to my face! Go away! I can't deal with this right now!" I screamed over my shoulder. The grief was waiting for me.

I ran to the blessedly familiar white door and grabbed the spare key we kept under the mat. I twisted it violently in the door, and, in case Edward was watching, took it in with me. I slammed the door and turned the deadbolt. A few seconds later, I heard a loud pounding on the door.

"Bella! Let me in! Please! We. Have. To. Talk!" he punctuated each word with a pound on the door. I ran up the stairs and flung a pillow over my eyes, then stuck my iPod headphones in my ears, effectively killing all my senses. My eyes immediately overflowed with tears. A few minutes later, the pillow was all wet and disgusting.

"God damn it!" I screeched and flung the useless pillow into my closet.

Then I remembered the bracelet Edward himself had given me. I pulled it out of my bedside table drawer and mentally prepared myself to throw it into the closet too, but I couldn't. Even though it was a false keepsake of the love Edward and I had, it still gave me strength when I needed it. I sighed, defeated, and placed it gently back in the corner of my drawer.

I rolled onto my stomach and waited impatiently for sleep to take me.

When I first heard the scratching on my window, I thought it was some sort of animal. I first processed that it was night. I could hear Charlie snoring. The second thing I processed was that I HATED animals. I grabbed a stiletto heel from the back of my closet. I'm not the type of girl who owns heels (with all the broken legs and twisted ankles I've earned from wearing them I've kinda grown out of that stage) but Renee had insisted on getting them for me. Their five inch fury had basically gotten them tossed in the back of my closet.

But, they were extremely useful for warding off impeding danger.

"Get away from my window, you stupid raccoon or squirrel or whatever you are! I've got a shoe that I'm not afraid to use!" I stage-whispered out the window.

I guessed that it had run away. But then the window wouldn't close.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" I chanted and turned around to find the oil Charlie used for situations like these. As I tip toed to my door, trying not to wake Charlie, I felt one hand on my shoulder and one hand on over my mouth. I immediately screamed, but it was muffled by the hand.

"Off! Off!" I choked. I was pulled into a warm body that I for some reason relaxed against. It was a freaking kidnapper; why was I _relaxing?_ Then I heard a familiar voice.

"Don't yell. You'll wake your father," Edward murmured into my ear. He released me and I tumbled to the floor, my legs turned to Jell-O by the relief I felt.

"Edward! What in the world are you doing in my room?" I demanded angrily.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. You don't know how sorry I am. It's just I've been through a lot since the last time you've seen me," he said apologetically.

"I hardly think that's an excuse for not even remembering me, Edward," I laughed mercilessly. He flinched at the cruel sound.

"Please, just let me explain," he begged.

I stared at him stoically, which he took to mean yes.

"Well, it started when I was adopted by that woman you saw. Her name was Victoria White and her husband was James. They weren't really all that great to me in the beginning. They always made me do more work than their daughter, Bree." I looked at his determined expression. It was obvious he didn't like talking about his experiences but he felt that he needed an explanation for why he was so mean to me.

"Then one day James was taking me to school. He ran a red light and this car was making a left turn." He illustrated the directions on his palm. "He died but I got away with a broken arm. Victoria… she went crazy, not that she wasn't insane before," he snorted. "I think she was mad that he died and I lived. She dyed her hair this bright, orange-red color, like fire. She ran the family into debt because she always spoiled Bree and bought herself anything she wanted. I was left to clean up after them." A shadow crossed his face and I dreaded what was to come.

"Then one day… I had this project to do for science. I think it was seventh or eighth grade when it happened. Bree, six by then, spilled a bunch of my paints in the basement. When Victoria walked in, she saw Bree crying and covered in paint and assumed I had dumped the paint on her." He rolled his eyes the same way he had in the forest. "And… she snapped and it started _everything._"

"What do you mean by everything?" I whispered, not liking where this was going.

He flicked on the light so I could better see when he lifted up his shirt and showed me the long scars running up and down his back, on his neck and on his shoulders. His skin was pale but the scars were a pure white that stood out. They were in all different patterns; x's and spirals, checkerboards and polka dots. It looked like this Victoria had been playing games on his back. Like she had enjoyed gorging out patterns with a cleaver. I gasped and he looked at me with almost inhuman pain and strength in his eyes.

**So now you all know why Edward was such a, and I quote from **_**call us crazy,**_** "bitch-boy". I'd really appreciate reviews, especially on this chapter. It was hard to write, both actually writing it and emotionally. **

**Xoxoxo becky.**


	5. Forgiveness

Disclaimer: Twilight wasn't mine, isn't mine, and will never be mine! I only own the plot for God's sake!

**First of all, I'd like to thank you all for being so patient. I know I usually update faster than this, I just have had terrible writer's block! I have no idea what to do with chapter, so I'm just going to wing it! Second, I'd LOVE to thank you for all the fantastic reviews you guys have given me! I haven't had a bad one yet. Third, I'd like to thank my sister who looked through 200 fanfics to find this story because I was too embarrassed to tell her which one it was. Then my brother who found out and looked through 300! I know you guys are reading this right now! And in case everyone else hasn't noticed, they are mrbobo and bigsislis. I made them their accounts! :)  
**

**Another author's note: There is going to be cussing from now on. If you have a problem with this, I'm sorry, but it's going to remain your problem. Enjoy the chapter! **

**Chapter Five- Forgiveness**

I lightly traced the ridges of the ravaged skin. He shuddered slightly and pulled his black shirt down, which, even in this situation, I noticed hid his well muscled back from view. I sighed, though he probably thought it was for a more important reason. I stepped back and sat on my small bed in the opposite corner of the room, leaning against the wall, my eyes shut . He remained standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"You can sit, you know," I invited, my voice cracking.

"I know," he answered coldly but not cruelly.

I stared at the flowery comforter I was sitting on. It seemed too cheery for the tension in the room, its reds and whites dancing across my bed. I could feel his piercing gaze x-raying me, waiting for me to say something. I honestly just wanted to fall back asleep and forget everything he had told me. Everything he had _shown _me. It was too real. I had wrapped myself in a cocoon, shutting out everything bad but letting in the sunshine. I had refused to worry about Edward and his mother, about what had happened to him. I only allowed myself to think that I might see him again.

"So does she still live with you? Where's Bree? And you said Alice was your sister. What's going on, Edward?" I asked quietly.

He froze. "Edward? What's wrong?" I questioned, my eyes narrowing. He had the oddest reactions to things.

"Nothing. It's just that… after I tell someone… _that_ they don't usually…." His voice drifted off. His eyes darted from the door to the window, as if he were looking for some escape.

"You're not going anywhere. Don't think you can get out of this conversation," I said, as I got up and lay a clammy hand on his shoulder. He jumped away from it. I stared at him for an endless moment and eventually grabbed the desk chair I had tripped over this morning. I gestured for him to sit. He took the seat apprehensively, as if it would bite him in the butt. I sat on the wood floor by his feet.

"Now," I huffed. "What did you say before?"

"Hm?" he grunted uncomfortably. He knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Stop bullshitting me, Edward. What did you say before? You said, "They don't usually…." They don't usually what?" I demanded. He was getting on my nerves.

"They don't usually care enough to ask!" he roared, forgetting Charlie for a moment. We froze and listened for moment, hearing the snores stumble then begin their normal rhythm again. He began again at a quieter volume. "No one cares. When the police officer came, he didn't care. The first few foster families didn't care. They were just in it for the tax benefits. The** (if you are under the age of thirteen do not read the next word… okay I'm giving you time to think about your age… tick tock tick tock… OKAY!)** fucking social worker didn't give a shit either. She didn't even pretend like she's supposed to! Only my family cares. And you," he added swiftly. I smiled a bit.

"So what happened?" I repeated, eager for the story.

And he told me. He told me how he called Child Services after a particularly bad incident. The scar he showed me stretched from his right shoulder to his left lower back. How he went to ten different foster homes until he was deemed "unadoptable" and was sent to an orphanage. There his parents, Carlisle and Esme, adopted him along with his friends, Alice and Emmett.

"But," he told me with a childish grin on his face. "I was Mom's favorite."

I laughed. "I'm sure she loves you all equally. So, you're good with how things are going now?" I asked, truly curious with how he liked his new life.

"Yep. The only problem was that I didn't have you," he stated quietly. I stared up at him from my place on the floor. A smile stretched slowly across my face. "Does that mean I'm forgiven?" he murmured.

"Of course!" I giggled. "You'd better get going. We've been talking all night and we do have school tomorrow."

"Right, right," he groaned. "See you tomorrow then. Bye, Bells!" he called as he ducked out the window.

I sighed happily and dropped into bed, promptly falling asleep.

The next day, I ran right over to Alice and hugged her. Her high soprano voice laughed.

"What's all this about?" she giggled.

I told her the whole story, beginning to end.

"Oh my God! You're _the _Bella?" she demanded, poking me on the shoulder.

"Ow! You dented my arm! Jesus, do you take steroids?" I yelped, rubbing my permanently injured arm. I was sure to see a bruise there tomorrow.

"Well, I mean… Emmett…. SHUT UP! ANSWER THE QUESTION, SWAN!" she yelled, causing the entire town to go silent.

"Shhh!" I hissed, pulling her into a random building. "Yes! I knew Edward when we were in the orphanage together. Now _shush_!"

"Oh my gosh! You know he's totally in love with you right?" she squealed, shaking me. My brain rattled against my skull.

"What?" I said dizzily.

"I SAID YOU KNOW HE'S TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH YOU RIGHT?" she screamed.

"Why did you think that?" I asked, willing my eardrums to rebuild themselves. After her shriek, they were shot.

"Because he talks about you _constantly!_ He thought there was no hope of ever seeing you again, Bella! Do you have any idea how important to him you are?" she told me.

"Nope!" The irritatingly loud bell rang, shattering my recovered eardrums. "And I don't plan on knowing! Bye, Alice!" I yelled over my shoulder as people started to trickle in from the fields.

Edward? In love with me? The idea was ridiculous! Laughable, even! I was sure we weren't in love. We were friends. _Just _friends. Just because he was insanely attractive and we've been friends since I was five meant nothing!

After a few stupid classes, I ran into the lunchroom. Once I had bought another nutritious lunch of chips and lemonade I scanned the tables for Alice and Edward's faces. I spotted them in a corner with a humongous giant and a beautiful blonde that would make any girl jealous. And she did make me jealous. A lot. Especially since she was talking to Edward. How dare she? Edward laughed at some joke that bitch was telling and she looked so proud of herself.

Well, I was going to make her pay!

_For what? _The rational part of my brain screamed at me. Its pitiful begs pleaded me not to bash her head in with my newly purchased lemonade bottle. I paused in the middle of the lunchroom. It was obvious she liked the humongous dude so I decided not to kill her with my "Bella is pissed off" strength.

And why, for the love of God, did I even care? He was my friend, not my boyfriend.

I sat in the empty chair next to Alice, who was talking to this blonde guy. She immediately stopped and said, in an energetic voice (as usual), "Hey, Bella!"

"Hey. Is this the gang?" I looked around. The jealousy inducing blonde looked at me, her ice blue eyes narrowing dangerously. Was it because she was after Edward and she was viewing me as competition? I could hardly be called a girl next to this… this… this goddess of femininity! I looked down self-consciously at the green sweatshirt and jeans I was wearing then looked at what _she _was wearing. It was something black and designer and went perfectly with her golden hair. Stupid goddess. She had no right making us all feel inadequate.

Then I looked at the huge guy. He towered over me, even when we were both sitting down. He was cute but not really my type. His eyes sparkled when he caught me staring at his massive bulk. I quickly moved on to the other man whom I had barely noticed talking to Alice. He was less muscular than the giant but more so than Edward and just as attractive. In fact, they were all attractive! What the hell was wrong with me?

"Yep, this is everyone," Alice answered, not noticing my current battle with my self-confidence. "Rosalie," she said, gesturing at the blonde. "Emmett," pointing to the dude on Rosie's arm. "And Jasper. But he's taken," she giggled in my ear.

"Obviously." I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get some food. Anyone want something?" Emmett stood and waited for our orders.

"I'll just have a salad, hon," Rosalie called sweetly. Just a salad? Damn her.

After Emmett returned with our food, we got down to business.

"So," Rosalie began. "You're the famous Bella." Of course, she started talking as soon I shoved five Doritos into my mouth. Everyone waited patiently as I choked down their cheesy goodness. I very delicately wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and slopped down some lemonade.

"Yes," I finally answered. "I'm sure you all know the story by now."

"Of course. But I did expect someone… prettier. All Edward talks about the gorgeous, fantastic, sexy—." I blushed bright red at her words. Edward would never say those things about me.

"Rose!" Edward hissed, his eyes tightening into slits. "Shut up!"

"No! You shut up!" she screeched. "She's not pretty at all! Look at what she's wearing. Hideous! And does she ever brush her hair?"

"Rose! Shut the hell up!" The entire table screamed in unison. But I was already out the door.

Stupid Rosalie and her perfection. Stupid Edward for getting my stupid hopes up. And stupid, stupid me for running out of the cafeteria like a little girl. I shot into Mr. Banner's room. He was enjoying his pizza, which apparently had arrived on time today. If he ate any more of those things he'd get all fat. I glared at him from my front row seat. I watched the grease drip down his fat, greedy fingers and he would wipe them off on his cheap shirt.

Eventually, he looked up and saw me staring at him and his box of fat.

"Want some?" He asked, holding up his mangled piece of greasy bread.

"No thanks, Mr. Banner," I answered, disgust clear in my voice.

"I'm gonna go get a napkin from the cafeteria. Don't touch anything," he warned me, waggling a finger. A few drips of grease flew off and landed on the floor.

"No worries!" I called as he exited. As soon as he left, Edward walked in.

"Bella, I'm really sorry for not coming sooner, I just didn't want Mr. Banner to hear us. And I'm sorry about Rosalie. She just thinks that she's perfect and prettier than everyone. I mean, not that you're not pretty or anything, she just a bitch. And stuff. You know, she just… do you understand what I'm getting at?" he wondered pathetically. I laughed as his words tripped over themselves.

"I kinda figured that out on my own. It's not her fault. I just have confidence problems," I told him.

"Why?" he asked, seemingly truly confused by my answer. He had to have seen all the pretty girls here.

Jessica Stanley had finally found a conditioner that worked for her so now her frizzy curls were perfect and smoother. And she always bought stuff from the Port Angeles Macy's so her clothes were nice, unlike my college sweatshirt and jeans I wore everyday. Lauren Mallory was athletic but bitchy so maybe we balanced out.

"Well, have you _seen _the girls here? Like Jessica and Lauren. They're all way prettier than me," I explained.

He looked like he was about to futilely protest, but the bell rang and kids started streaming in. We didn't talk for the rest of the period, as Mr. Banner was lecturing us on the importance of hygiene. He showed us all the bacteria that grew on our hands after you used the bathroom. Then, the school counselor came in and showed us how to properly wash our hands.

It was so pointless.

**Why did Edward call her gorgeous? Why is Bella so jealous? Why does Mr. Banner eat an entire pizza by himself EVERYDAY??? You may never know unless you review this chapter! You know you want to….**


	6. Getting Preppy

Disclaimer: If I were Stephenie Meyer, I'd probably be publishing something right about now. If I owed any of it, I'd be very pleased with myself.

**Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU SO FRICKIN MUCH!!!! Why? This is the question you might be asking yourself at this very moment. Why the hell aren't you telling us? That is the other question you might be asking yourself. The answer to these fantastic questions is:**

**I GOT SOOOO MANY REVIEWS AND NOW I'M SOOOOO HAPPY!!!!**

**That's all I wanted to say. You guys are awesome and don't forget it! Also, never ever forget to review after you finish reading!!**

**a/n: Bella is kinda OOC this chapter. **

**Chapter six- Getting Preppy**

The next few months were amazing. All of my and Edward's problems seemed to disappear. He finally stopped freaking out every time I would tap him on the shoulder, something which I was eternally grateful for. The only problem of ours, which was really only mine, was the little voice in my head that squealed whenever he walked into a room. That same little voice sighed contentedly whenever he laughed or smiled. Or talked to me. Or touched me.

I was obsessed, okay?

I tried convincing myself that it was just because it was all so new. I was getting my best friend back after all these years so I was happy, right? The tingles that stirred in my stomach when he so much as looked at me were completely normal. As were the blushes that rose to my cheeks when I saw him. Okay, I'll admit it:

I had a crush on Edward Cullen.

It just screwed _everything _up. What if something went wrong, would we never be friends again? I couldn't let that happen, the thought being more painful than breaking all my limbs (…not that I would know.)

The second problem was that I was never sure what he was thinking. Did he like me back? Did he _love _me back? I just had no freaking idea. I was never one to take chances.

So, I stayed back. Watched from a distance. I always kept a book in my lap, ready to look down if he caught me staring so it would look like I was reading _Wuthering Heights. _At some point, he would probably notice I had been reading it for three months, but that time had yet to come.

After doing homework with him for a few hours, or, in Bella language, stare at Edward for a few hours while he wrote an essay on my new laptop, I noticed something.

"Hey, Edward?" I called from across my room.

"Yeah?" he answered distractedly. He typed a few words on the keyboard and smiled proudly. I watched him pull up his email and send his newly completed essay to himself as our "all-in-one multifunction printer" was a piece of crap and had broken down. "Yeah," he repeated, finally turning to look into my eyes.

That idiotic part of my brain shut down everything and I just stared at him for a few a moments.

"Bella? Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly, coming over to stand in front of me.

"Oh! N-nothing!" I stuttered, internally screaming profanities at myself. _Wake up! Wake up! Wake up you stupid brain! _I yelled at myself. "I was just wondering," I continued, a little more steadily this time. "Did you wear that shirt yesterday?"

"Not you too!" he groaned, rocking back onto his heels, satisfied that I had no immediate medical emergency he had to deal with. That's right. In addition to being inhumanly attractive and incredibly smart, he knew CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, and mouth to mouth resuscitation. I guess mouth to mouth I could deal with…. "Alice is always trying to get me a new wardrobe!" he said, breaking me out of my Edward induced fantasies. "She thinks that I'm not "fashionable" enough." He rolled his eyes.

I raised an eyebrow at his current attire. He was wearing the same t-shirt he had worn yesterday, and now that I think about it, the day before yesterday. We burst into uncontrollable laughter.

I wiped laughter induced tears from my eyes. "I think we should go shopping, Edward," I suggested, while he was still laughing. As expected, this immediately sobered him up.

"No. Absolutely not," he stated, as if it were final.

"Yes! Come on, Edward! How many shirts do you have? Three?" I taunted.

"And that's all one guy needs! Guys are not like girls. They don't like to play dress up or house or whatever it is you all do," he explained.

"House? I haven't played that since… ever. Girls have sleepovers and go shopping.... Wait, I never do any of that stuff," I defended my gender pathetically. Edward laughed.

"You're doing nothing to help yourself win this fight," he smirked. He thought he had won. Well, I had other plans.

"Please, Edward? For me?" I murmured softly, like I had when I wanted something at the orphanage. I looked up at him through my eyelashes.

He rolled his eyes yet again. "You know that doesn't work on me anymore," and he grinned as if he were immune to my pleading.

I smiled at his stupidity.

*****************************

"I can't believe you convinced me to do this," he grumbled as we waltzed into Abercrombie. The toxic perfume scent was way to strong for my brain to handle. As was the painfully loud music. It was all more than enough to get one's head pounding.

"I can get you to do anything," I sang, throwing a few shirts into his arms. I made sure they were his size and tossed in a few pairs of jeans.

"This is getting heavy," he complained as he looked for a convenient pit of fire to drop his clothes into.

"Just one more thing, then we can go to Old Navy," I consoled him as I threw a pair of sunglasses onto the mound of clothes.

"Sunglasses? You're making me look like a prep," he moaned when he saw them.

"Go try stuff on; I have to make a call. And remember, your Mom said you're paying!" I called over my shoulder as I dialed Alice's number.

"Hey, Bella!" she answered after the first ring. "I thought you were making Edward go shopping."

"We are," I replied. I had to make sure he never wore any of his old, gross clothes again. "I have a favor to ask of you."

When I returned, Edward was leaning against the wall of the dressing room, waiting for me. I stifled a gasp. In clothes that actually fit, he looked, for lack of a better word, amazing. You could see every muscle now that his shirt wasn't hanging off his tall frame. My eyebrows furrowed as I held back a sigh of disappointment.

Edward and I would never, _ever _be together. He'd probably end up with someone like Jessica, but with a nicer personality.

"You look great!" I said with all the enthusiasm I could muster.

He raised an eyebrow at my tone, but, as I didn't elaborate, he didn't ask.

"Thanks," he sighed. "I can't wait to get home and burn all these things."

He was probably kidding but the Cullens were so rich, he could have and nobody would have cared. I was glad he was with such a wonderful family now. He deserved it.

I hid a smile. He wouldn't be able to burn anything unless he wanted to go around naked. Alice was taking care of it at this moment.

"Alrighty!" I called through the door. "Next!"

For a half hour he tried on different outfits and catwalked around the dressing room. He put on the sunglasses, looked in the mirror and tossed them back into the store, landing in someone's arms with perfect accuracy.

Whenever he finished trying something on, he would show me for "girl approval". Every outfit looked fantastic on him in a different way and every time I would just grunt my "certification of amazingness" as we called it.

"Yep, that's a keeper," I said. He tossed it over the screen, expecting that I could somehow catch it. The shirt landed on the floor.

"Damn it," I muttered to myself as I picked up the crumpled shirt.

"Are we almost done?" he whined like a kid.

"We _are _done. And since we got so much crap here, we don't have to go to Old Navy to buy even more crap!" I explained to his surprise.

"Yes!" he ran out of the dressing room, somehow back into his old clothes. "Freedom!"

"You're such a child!" I teased.

"You're such a mom," he quickly retaliated.

"Am not!" I said, probably not in the most mature way I could have.

"Oh, really?" he challenged, his eyes twinkling wickedly. I knew that look. I _hated_ that look.

"Edward. Please don't," I warned, backing away into the dressing room wall. He closed the door behind us. It was a very small space, the perfect size for two people to be shoved against each other. With any other person, the situation would have been uncomfortable. With Edward, it just made my face turn red because I wanted to kiss him so badly. A shudder ran up his spine. I didn't know if it was because of his abusive experiences or because he was uncomfortable with his best friend being crammed into a Abercrombie dressing room with him.

"Don't move an inch," he murmured as he grabbed my waist. A flash of heat burned across my skin.

"No!" I squealed. Then he started tickling me. "No! EDWARD! Stop! Please! Please," I giggled uncontrollably. "EEK! STOP! Oh my God, Edward, please!" I began kicking wildly. "No, no! You're making me scream! Come on, we're gonna get kicked out! I'll kill you, asshole!" With one last tickle to my side he stopped, leaving me gasping for breath.

"You… jackass," I concluded, breathing hard. He just laughed at my plight. "Jackass," I repeated as I left the dressing room.

After we had paid we began heading towards the elevator. I made Edward carry around his huge Abercrombie bag with a shirtless guy and bikini clad girl on it. Whenever he grimaced, I giggled.

"Consider this your payback," I admonished him as I pressed the down button. The elevator responded happily to my request and with a "ding" we were going downstairs.

"This is worse than any agony. You chose my torture well, my Bella," he grumbled. I blushed bright red at his words that implied something more than just friends.

"What are you blushing at?" he questioned annoyingly. I mentally cursed. Of all the things he could have noticed about me, he always seemed to notice when I blushed. And every time he would question me tirelessly until I told him what the hell I was blushing about.

The last time he had asked, it was because I was thinking of when that jerk-face **(a jerk whose face looks like a jerk's face)** Mike Newton had tried to kiss me in the middle of the hallway. Then Edward had come along, seen my obvious discomfort (which for some reason Mike never seemed to pick up on), and thrown him into a nearby locker. I had nearly said "My hero!" like some lovesick idiot. Eventually, I told Edward it was a blush of anger. I hated lying to him.

"I'm blushing _for _you, not at you," I dodged expertly. Well, lying **(at least in this case, kids!) **was better than telling Edward I was hopelessly in love with him. "It is a glass elevator after all."

He laughed, unaware of my discomfort. "I'm glad you have _some _measure of pity for me."

I looked at him, so happy and carefree now. I still remembered a few months ago when he always looked like he was burning. But now, he looked… perfect. _Beautiful.... _The mushy side of me sighed blissfully. _Shut up, brain! You're distracting me! _I yelled at myself. I'm not crazy. I think.

"Hey," he said, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Want to get some ice cream?" he asked, pointing to the nearby Ben and Jerry's which he knew was my favorite.

"Are there really two answers to that question?" I wondered as I pulled him towards the shop.

"Oh!" the ice cream scooper girl **(uh… any other words for "ice cream scooper girl"?) **exclaimed, staring very obviously at Edward. I rolled my eyes. At least I stared at him from behind a book. "What can I get you?" she asked flirtatiously.

"I don't know," he announced coldly. He turned to me. "What do you want, _darling?_" he emphasized. I actually understood this. Oh my God, I understood a joke! We would pretend to be a couple and get the obnoxious girl off our backs.

"I think I'll have the chocolate chip cookie dough, _sweetest_," I decided, my voice like warm molasses. I fluttered my eyelashes at him and smiled my flirtiest smile. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down and his expression turned to longing. What did he want? My cookie dough?

"I'll… uh, have the… uh, mint… stuff," he mumbled.

"What was that, sir?" the girl questioned, her tone sounding defeated. She pulled her hair up into a bun, which seemed unsanitary, as she was about to scoop our precious ice cream. 

"Are you okay?" I whispered worriedly.

"Dandy," he snapped at the same volume. What was his problem?

"Mint chocolate chip, please," he relayed again, this time in a clearer voice.

"Sure," she answered, and began bustling around.

We grabbed a table in the middle of the mall. Edward glared over my shoulder.

"What?" I asked, turning around in my seat. There was some guy staring at me unashamedly. He was cute, I guess, but he had nothing on Edward.

"That guy is pissing me off," he said, returning his gaze to me once the guy had left.

"Why? Guys aren't allowed to check me out? Since when are you my boyfriend?" I accused. What right did have to control who looked at me? He obviously had no feelings for me. At least, not _those _types of feelings.

"I'm not," he sighed unhappily. He looked at me. I mean, _really _looked at me, as if he was seeing me from the inside out. I felt like he was staring right at my soul.

After we ate our ice cream, we returned to Edward's house. Alice was outside, cleaning her Porsche for the thousandth time.

"Hey guys!" she called, waving us over. "Not a spot on it!" she stated proudly as she caressed the hard yellow metal.

"There's a spot right there," Edward pointed out a bit of dirt on her windshield.

"Where?" Alice cried frantically. "JASPER! Get me some more soap!" she screamed, terrified of a single speck of dirt on her precious baby.

"My God, Alice! How many times have you washed it today?" Jasper called from the Cullen's monster garage. He sounded absolutely exhausted.

"Only three times!" she shrieked hysterically. "And my baby is not an "it" she's a "she". Her name is the Mighty Nala." **(I'll explain later.) **Edward rolled his eyes as we headed inside.

"That thing is her drug. Hold on a second, I'm going to go put this hideous bag in my closet," he said, rushing up the stairs.

"Alice! Come here!" I stage whispered out the door.

"What?" Alice replied, suddenly at my side with a soapy sponge in her hand.

"Listen," I murmured.

We waited for a minute, waiting for the moment when Edward would discover that we got rid of all his old clothes.

"ALICE!" He roared, pounding down the stairs. "Where the hell did you put all my clothes?" he thundered.

"They're at Goodwill," she somehow answered with a straight face. I collapsed on the floor, my face red with silent laughs.

"I'm going to kill you and burn your body!" he screeched.

Alice ran out the door (a smart move in my opinion) and Edward chased her screaming, "Get back here so I can kill you, you little midget!"

Ah, yes. Another delightful day in the Cullen household.

**This chapter was a bit of a filler but it becomes more important later. As for our car at home, we call our Corolla "the Mighty Nala (from the Lion King!)" which is why that's Alice's car's name. **

**The number one thing I have to say to you all right now is:**

**REVIEW PLEASE! You all **_**know **_**how happy it makes me! And it eventually makes you happy too (I hope) because it inspires me to write longer chapters. Haven't you seen the increase in the amount of words per chapter there are???? I have! This is the only story where I've written chapters over 3,000 words on! So, PLEASE, review. It's the right thing to do (along with recycling. You can't forget that either.)**

**I got 16 reviews on the last chapter and it's really bothering me. I'm aiming for 20, guys!!!  
**


	7. Becoming the Butterfly

Disclaimer: I don't own: Maybelline, Herbal Essences, Abercrombie, or Twilight. Please don't sue me!

**Hellloooo and once again, I have something very important to say to you all:**

**OMFG! THANK YOU! I NOW HAVE OVER 100 REVIEWS! ****I'd like to give a very special thank you to: ****Jrssica who gave me my 100th review****. But guys, she wasn't the only reviewer! If three of you hadn't reviewed, I would have been a sad panda. So, once again, RIGHT NOW I AM BOWING DOWN TO ALL OF YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!  
**

**NOW PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION; IT'S VERY IMPORTANT! I was wondering, what would you think of an Edward's POV of this chapter and "Getting Preppy"?**

**READ THIS TOO: If you notice the reference to a certain show (and can name the show) in the above author's note, than you will be awarded the prize of an answer to one of your questions about this story.  
**

**Chapter Seven- Becoming the Butterfly  
**

The next morning, I waited impatiently outside for Edward's Volvo to come screeching out around the corner. When he stepped out to open the door for me, I gasped aloud. He wore a gray striped collared shirt with the cuffs rolled up along with some purposely faded, ripped black jeans. He looked like a God. I always liked my men in gray.

_Helllloooo, gorgeous! _The little voice in me sighed happily. I didn't bother to correct it this time. I was too busy staring at him. With the early morning sun reflecting off his messy hair, he looked a billion times better than he ever could in the cramped, poorly lit Abercrombie dressing room.

"Morning to you too, Bells," he greeted me with a chuckle. "Nice job slipping that cologne in the bag," he said, his chuckle transforming into a full blown laugh.

I choked on my giggle. My brain was too busy photocopying every angle of his perfect body.

"Wanna sniff?" he asked, pulling me into his arms. He smelled like the cologne I had given him but more just like _Edward_ which was the purest, most appetizing scent of all. If they bottled it and sold it, every woman in the world would buy it just so they could sniff it in their bathrooms like drug addicts. I wished I could have the real thing.

I arrived at school with thousands of butterflies fluttering around in my chest and they weren't just from sitting awkwardly next to Edward for fifteen minutes. Every second it took all my control not to just reach over, grab his perfect face, and kiss him senseless.

When we walked up the steps to the door of the high school, I had started up a little song inside my head. _Nobody will notice Edward's new clothes. If some skank asks him out I'll kick their asses or get Alice to do it for me! _I was never really one for rhyming. I chanted the little half song to myself, hoping, _praying_ that nothing would change, that nothing would go wrong with his new demeanor and confidence.

"Ready?" he asked nervously, his hand grasping at the metal door. I realized we were both nervous; I for how I was possibly going to fend off all the girls that were sure to throw themselves at him and he just for how people would react.

"After you," I said, clenching my teeth together to stop the chattering. I was so nervous.

I wanted him to be happy, I really did, but I pleaded to God that little, still-a-caterpillar Edward would remain the same person I knew and loved.

I was so wrong.

The second Edward and I threw the doors open and walked into the main school building, everything went silent. Not the silent after you've done something really embarrassing. No, this was the silent that followed you everywhere, the silent that came in waves. Every time someone saw him, a hush would fall over anyone in a five foot radius.

When Edward came into view near Lauren Mallory's locker, she dropped all her textbooks on her new boy toy's foot. She whirled around, looking for something in her locker, her stick straight hair whipping the guy in the face.

"Oh, Justin?" I heard her tell the poor boy. "We're over."

"What? Why?" was his outraged cry.

"I've found somebody new," she said, her voice drifting in and out of different octaves. "And he is way hotter than you. Now, leave me." she stated royally. Justin walked off looking dejected.

When Jessica first saw Edward, she armed herself with her new Maybelline's Shiny-Licious **(wtf?)** lip gloss and sprinted into the nearest bathroom. I glared at her back, willing her stupid lip gloss to implode all over her face. I wished she was allergic to it.

Edward beamed down at me, his eyes shining with happiness. I hadn't realized how much he had wanted to be... well, _wanted _by those ditzy girls. As his back grew straighter with pride, his chin rising higher in the air, I just seemed to slump to the ground, my hair hanging around my face, hiding it. He was too beautiful to be seen with me.

"I gotta go, Edward," I muttered quickly so he wouldn't hear the ache in my voice. "Bye."

"Yeah. See you later." he waved me off as some jock slapped his shoulder. It was amazing how shallow these people were. The second you changed your appearance, everyone was all over you.

"Ohmygosh! Like, hi, Edward!" Lauren Mallory greeted him. I noticed her hair was now done up in soft waves. Did she have a curling iron in her locker or something?

She reached up and ran her claws through Edward's bronze locks, something I had been longing to do since day one. I hissed jealously, imagining _my _hands in that hair.

What was the witch planning to do? I had to know so I hid behind a nearby locker bank, just watching. People kept bumping into me and Kelly McDuncan waited five minutes for me to unblock her locker but, as I didn't move, she just shoved my butt out of the way.

Lauren twirled her long blond locks around a perfectly manicured nail. I imagined ripping the stupid thing right out of her finger.

"Hey," Edward looked at her with way too many emotions running wildly across his face. Annoyance, desire, pride, probably because she was simply talking to a guy of his social status… wait, did I just say _desire?_ No. This couldn't be happening. Edward did not have a crush on Lauren "the slut" Mallory. Did he see her outfit? I guess it was God's gift to men. She wore a white, see through cami with tiny denim mini shorts and flip flops that matched her nails. To the the female half of the population, it was disgusting. But to the male half... I couldn't even imagine the pictures going through their heads.

"So," she began, finally untangling her hand from her hair. "What's up with the clothes?" Well, that was direct.

"Oh, these?" he asked, plucking at his new polo. Seriously, dumbass. Do you think she'd be talking to you if you weren't wearing the new clothes? Or was he so oblivious that he thought the preps actually liked him? "I, uh, went shopping. I thought I needed a new image." He looked nervously over his shoulder, probably making sure I wasn't around.

Are you fucking kidding me? "A new image"? I put him up to it, I picked out all the clothes, and I made sure he didn't just burn them all! And now he was saying it was all his decision? I growled under my breath, causing Kelly to look at me like I was crazy.

"Stop being such a dumbass weirdo, Swan," she whispered in my ear. I hated Kelly and her breath smelled like rotting anchovies.

I considered telling her to shove it up her ass but instead opted for flipping her off. She left in a huff and in her hurry, accidentally left the lock on her locker unlocked. **(hahaha)** I butterflied it and continued to listen to Edward and Lauren's conversation. **(For those of you who don't know, butterflying a lock is when you flip it so the side with the twisty part is facing your locker and makes it very hard to unlock it later.) **

"That's nice," Lauren breathed sexily. How come I couldn't do that? I always sounded like a dying animal when I tried to talk like in a "sexy voice". "I always thought you needed a bit of a makeover." She scooted in closer to him and he stepped back uncomfortably. It was probably just because of Victoria. I sucked in a breath. "You know, I've always thought you needed a social makeover too, Edward, but now you're obviously heading in the right direction." She graced him with a dazzling smile. "But why were you talking with Bella this morning?" she demanded, returning to her bitchy self.

"I don't know," he explained quickly, obviously not wanting to initiate Lauren's temper. "She just follows me around like a puppy," he laughed. Lauren joined him, throwing her head back and laughing a girly, tinkling laugh. She tossed her hair around over her shoulder and shook it out like in those Herbal Essences shampoo commercials. I glared at her jealously before turning on my heel and stalking away from where they were giggling like children at my expense. I thought seventeen year olds were supposed to be mature. You know, _not _make fun of people anymore. But no. Apparently not.

That bastard. He was going to get it at lunch.

I stared at the wall all through my classes, simmering over what I had just heard. My better, more virtuous side argued that it was my fault; I wasn't supposed to have been listening anyway. But the devil on my shoulder was paralyzed with rage. And she wanted vengeance on Lauren _and _Edward. Guess who I listened to.

At lunch I came out of the line with a slice of cheese pizza and a salad (which was relatively healthy on my part) and didn't see Edward but I did see a glaring Alice and a steaming Emmett.

"Alice?" I questioned as soon as I set my food on the table. "Where's Edward?" I asked nervously. I glanced over at Emmett who looked like Rosalie's hand on his shoulder was the only thing keeping him in his seat.

"Ask Lauren," she answered dangerously, as if she could break the table in half. Along with Edward's face for that matter.

I whirled around and my eyes flitted around the room until I spotted him right outside the window in the courtyard. He was sitting on the table, flirtatiously stealing Lauren's tater tots. Lauren's hair was different again, this time done up in a messy bun, a few curls sticking out perfectly. Edward tugged on an errant strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear. What was going on? It took him months to even be able to talk to me without stuttering and now he was all lovey-dovey with Lauren?

I stormed outside, gracefully stomping for once.

The entire yard got quiet at the expression on my face. It was probably one of pure rage.

"Can I talk to you?" I hissed, clenching his wrist in my hand. He futilely attempted to pull away but my grip was solid.

"Uh, yes?" he said uncertainly. "I'll be back in a second, Ren," he called over his shoulder. Oh, now he had a nickname for her? I pulled him inside into a nearby hallway.

"Eww, your hand is all clammy," he complained as he waved his hand around in the air.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sooo sorry," I jeered sarcastically.

He glared at me and settled for sticking his hand in pocket.

"What's wrong with you today?" I cried, frustrated. "Ever since people started complimenting your clothes and flirting with you, you've turned into a total ass! And it's only been _one day_," I emphasized.

"What are you talking about? I haven't said anything mean to you all day! And is it against the law to sit with some new people every once in a while?" he accused. I turned bright red. If I hadn't been spying on him, I only would've known he was sitting with "Ren" over there.

Still, I felt the need to argue.

"But, you've been ignoring me all day! Did I do something wrong?" I demanded.

"I haven't been ignoring you! You just wandered off! I just think you're jealous of me," he roared, quite unfairly I might add.

I raised an eyebrow. "Me? Jealous? How dare you, Edward Cullen!" I whispered furiously. "Who's the one who said popularity was a joke? Who's the one who always said you wouldn't talk to Lauren Mallory for ten billion dollars?" I felt tears welling up in my eyes, and I rubbed at my eyes before they could trickle down my cheeks.

"Well, at least I have a life now, unlike you," he stated rudely.

"You didn't have a life either five hours ago!" I shrieked. A few passing teachers glared at us and told us to be quiet. I lowered my voice. "What changed? Is it... my fault?" I asked, my voice choking off at the end. A few tears rolled down my face and I wiped them away with the corner of my shirt. His expression cleared of all anger.

"Don't cry, Bella. Please. I can't stand it," Edward begged, suddenly pulling me into his arms. It felt so right there that I immediately relaxed against his chest as he wrapped his long, cool arms around my waist. But I didn't miss that he hadn't answered my question.

"I'm sorry, Edward. It must be PMS or something," I sniffled, deciding to ignore his lack of an explanation.

"Yeah. Okay. Bye, Bella," he grunted and pushed me out of his arms, leaving me cold and wanting. He walked quickly back outside. The least he could have done is laughed or something. Did he not want to be seen with unpopular old me? Of course not. I was Bella Swan; Code Name: Plain Jane with not enough cleavage.

I wandered my way over to where Alice was sitting and grabbed my pizza. It had gone cold and as soon as I picked it up, all the toppings fell off. I sighed and slurped down all the cheese. When I grabbed the wet, tomato covered bread, Alice spoke.

"Something's off," she stated.

"Yeah, the cheese is off the crust," I laughed at my own lame joke.

"No, I mean something's off with Edward... and you." she told me, completely ignoring me.

"No kidding," I sighed.

"No, I feel like... like someone's future just died," she murmured worriedly. I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Like it's too blurry. What I saw before was so clear. So _determined,"_ she muttered, almost to herself. "But now... I can't see a thing."

"Alice, you can't see the future. It's not humanly possible. You probably just had a dream," I placated her. Alice and her dreams that kept her up her all night. I remembered when she had such a bad one about Jasper getting in a horrible car accident coming home from a night class he was taking. She was so upset that she called him and told him not to take the highway on his way home so he didn't. The next morning, there was a news report on a drunk driving accident that had killed eight people driving home from work. Alice's dreams were often times eerily accurate. I shuddered and turned away from her murmurings.

I looked out the window enviously and saw Edward talking with a big group of people. How was he so good at this, all the talking and flirting? I couldn't flirt with a guy for my life.

Then I _really_ looked and I realized they were all pointing and laughing at me as Edward told some story animatedly. When Edward finally looked up from Lauren's laughing eyes, he caught me staring and he turned his head down in shame. That proved he had been telling some horrible story about me. His supposed best friend. I stormed out of the room and was with Mr. Banner again.

"No, no! Celia, please don't hang up! Come on!" he begged into his poor cell phone. I noticed he had a pizza on his desk again. "No!" he shouted. "I don't wanna get divorced again, it was hard enough the first time around," he sobbed while shoving an enormous slice pizza into his face. So that's why he always ate an entire pizza by himself; the poor man's marriage was on the rocks. "Aww… damn it. She hung up on me," he grumbled to himself. He looked up to see me doodling on my newest folder. "OUT!" he yelled, pointing at the hallway.

"Yes, sir!" I murmured on my way out. I sat on the floor next to the door and buried my head in my hands. A few minutes later, the bell rang and screaming teenagers filled the hallway. I floated into science class where Mr. Banner glared at me again. I hid my face with my long, thick curtain of hair and waited for Edward to come in so I could kill him. Then cry and find a gallon of ice cream. But he never came.

When Mr. Banner called roll, he called out, "Edward Cullen?" But before he could mark Edward absent, Ms. Cope from the office came in and murmured something in his ear, then quickly left the room, looking at us awkwardly.

"Well, it seems that Mr. Cullen has voluntarily transferred to _AP_ Biology. Maybe with hard work, some of you will do the same next semester. Okay, class! Moving on...."

He transferred his only class with me? What was wrong with him? He was so desperate to ignore me that he transferred classes?

If I was simmering before, I was simply boiling now. I'd bet that the only reason he went along with me so well yesterday was because he had wanted this. He wanted the girls, the friends, the whole new image.

Was this the Edward I had created? And how in the world had he changed so fast?

**You likey? This is my longest chapter yet and personally, I really like it! ****Last time, I asked for 20 reviews and I got 31 (omg), so would it be too much to ask for 40 for this chapter? I know enough of you are reading this story to achieve that! Hey, they don't call me the ReviewJunkie for nothing! Except, nobody calls me that... whatever, I just want reviews!**

**Again,**** PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION; IT'S VERY IMPORTANT! I was wondering, what would you think of an Edward's POV of this chapter and "Getting Preppy"?**

**Xoxo becky!!!**


	8. Not Good Enough

Disclaimer: Yo no tengo Twilight, Stephenie Meyer tengo Twilight. (I don't have Twilight, SM has Twilight.) Sue me, I don't know the word for own. Oh, I don't own Transformers either. Jesus these things are getting long....

**You guys are fantastic. You know how I said I got 9 reviews in less than 24 hours for my first chapter? Well, I got 30 reviews in less than 24 hours for chapter 7. Do you have any idea how fantastically amazing that is? You guys don't know (well, I guess you do. We're all fellow writers here.) how much this means to me. I've got a genetically inherited low self confidence, so you people are really doing a number on my ego. Lovvvveeee you guys sooo much and don't forget to review!**

**Now, in respect of the Edward's POV thing, I'm sorry. Like 50 billion of you said to do it but I realized something. IT WOULD TOTALLY RUIN THE ENTIRE FLIPPIN' STORY! So I'm going to do an Edward's POV of the whole thing and make it a separate story or just add the two chapters on to the end of this story. Sorry guys, but at least I'll be doing it eventually. **

**OH! And if you want to read a fantastic, realistic story, read Stop, Drop, and Roll by Bronzehairedgirl620. Yummy firefighter Edward with a haunting past but be prepared to cry once every 20 minutes.  
**

**Chapter Eight- Not Good Enough**

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to cry.

But most of all, I wanted to buy a sledgehammer, find Edward, and hammer him in the balls.

So, I wasn't pissed off enough to kill him, but enough to cause him excruciating pain. Fortunately for Edward's balls, I didn't know of any places where I could buy a sledgehammer.

After Bio, I rushed off to gym where I sucked at badminton even more than usual.

"Wanna be partners, Bellie?" Mike asked eagerly. I flinched at the horrible nickname. Ever since we had started this horrible net sport, Mike had asked to be my partner every day. And every day, instead of saying Bella, like a normal, sane person would say, he said "Bellie" which pissed me off big time.

"Sure, _Mikey_," I emphasized fake cheerfully.

His eyes narrowed. "Never, _ever, _call me Mikey. Get it, Swan?" He told me dangerously. My mouth popped open as I nodded.

"Got it," I murmured. What the hell was up with the male population today? They were all bitches. Maybe instead of a monthly period, guys had a monthly day where they pissed everyone off.

"Good!" he cried, back to his normal annoying self. "Time for us to play, or should I say, time for me to play," he sneered. I raised an eyebrow at his tone, willing him to apologize. But he turned around and I scooted to the back of the court.

We began playing, Mike rushing around the entire court and me standing in the back corner. If it was hit near me, I would always attempt to get it but Mike would shout, "No! Don't touch it!" After a while, I just didn't bother anymore.

Melissa from the other team smirked when she saw the perfect opportunity to get me to kill myself or cause Mike some sort of bodily harm. She hit the birdie perfectly so it would land right in front of me.

I summoned up my courage and called out, "I got it!" The entire gym went silent at my cry. It was in slow motion, me trying to hit the damned thing and Mike running across the entire court yelling,

"Nooooo!" He reached but I got to it too soon. I actually hit the birdie and it landed on the floor of the other side but in the process, I whacked Mike in the head and he fell to the floor. I couldn't really bring myself to feel guilty. In fact, I think hitting him straightened out my racket. I grinned, fondling the newly formed dents.

"Shit!" he cried out. "God damn motherfu—," he looked at the gym teacher who was glaring at him from across the room. "Mother fudgerdoodles," he groaned pathetically. Everyone gathered in a little circle around him.

"Oh my goodness, Mike! Are you okay?" Jessica screeched at the popular boy. She turned to address me, her tiny hands on her anorexic waist. "You could have caused brain damage, Bella! Why are you such a klutz?" she demanded, tossing her hair over her shoulder. The other girls giggled as they walked back to their games. I just glared at them, their stupid girlishness annoying the hell out of me.

"Nice job, Bells," Tyler whispered in my ear. His breath smelled like he hadn't brushed his teeth in a few weeks. I saw a few bits of cheese caught between his two front teeth that made him look remarkably like a beaver or some other big toothed animal. "Maybe now I can finally ask you out on that date without that idiot getting in the way," he murmured. I really hoped I wasn't supposed to have heard that.

"Someone take Newton to the health room," Mr. Ross **(I don't remember the dude's name! Could somebody let me know?)** called lazily from the back of the circle.

"I'll do it," I yelled along with many others. It was my opportunity to leave the hellhole they called "gym".

"Swan, you take him. You hurt him in the first place," Mr. Ross decided and turned back to a game another team was still playing. "Oh!" he cried, turning back around. "You hitting that birdie was your first participation grade of the quarter. Nice job."

I blushed red as everyone started laughed. Mike groaned from the floor.

"Sorry," I muttered and pulled him up. He stumbled. "Sorry," I said a little louder this time.

"Just get me to the damned room, Bella," he growled, wobbling as he walked. I slipped an arm around his shoulders and tried to get him to the nurse fairly quickly.

When we walked in, the nurse looked up from her work.

"Good afternoon, children. What seems to be the problem?" she asked professionally, rising from her swivel chair.

"Unnghhh," Mike groaned and collapsed on the bed. I grimaced guiltily, my conscious finally telling me something was wrong.

"I hit him on the head," I explained. The nurse glared at me. "Accidentally!" I cried, immediately realizing what I had said. "I-I didn't mean to! It was during gym and… the birdie. He tried to get it and so did I and I ended up hitting him accidentally."

The nurse smiled kindly and lay a hand gently on my shoulder. "It's alright, dear. I've got all sorts of things to help this young man. You may go back to class now," she dismissed me as she bustled around getting some ice from the freezer.

"But—!" I began. I did not want to go back to that torture chamber.

"What Bella's trying to say is that I hit her on the head too. She should lie down," Mike explained as he gave me a wink. I was never more grateful for Mike Newton than I was at that moment.

"I see. Well then, Bella, please lie down on that bed next to Mike's." The nurse eyed me suspiciously, probably knowing I wasn't actually hurt. I guess people going down the medical career path didn't really care whether you went to gym or not; there were so many other things you could be doing. Like sucking the blood out of someone with a sterilized needle. I shuddered involuntarily.

"Thanks," I whispered on my way over. Mike smiled a shit eating grin and that stupid smug expression stayed on his face for the rest of our stay.

When I got to the bed, I noticed the curtain around it was closed so I whipped it open and I gasped aloud, luckily not drawing anyone's attention.

There were Edward and Lauren making out on the bed in the nurse's office. Edward's eyes flickered open at the sudden light in the room and he immediately spotted me towering over him with a murderous expression on my face.

"Get off the bed," I said dangerously. "Now." I didn't even care how he'd gotten there; I just wanted him _gone_.

Lauren looked as if she were about to tell me off so I simply called, "Nurse Green?"

"Yes, darling?" she answered as she laid some ice on Mike's head.

Edward's face mutated into a mask of horror.

"You wouldn't," he mouthed. I smirked.

"I would."

He glared at me, fire in the depths of his green eyes. Lauren just looked frightened.

"Don't do this. I'm your friend, Bella, come on," he urged, reaching for the tips of my fingers with the hand that had just been caressing Lauren's scalp. I swatted it away.

"Don't use that excuse on me," I snapped. "I might have if you hadn't been such a jackass. But...," I said, trailing off.

"Yes?" the nurse repeated, washing her hands with some anti-bacterial soap. Edward sighed and rolled his eyes at Lauren. Disappointment clouded her expression.

"You seem to have a rat infestation on your bed," I told her calmly. Edward's eyes narrowed at the insult. The petite nurse rushed over, my ice pack in hand.

"What? Whe—?" she immediately began panicking; it was probably a health code violation. The she realized I had just insulted the two people on the bed. "EDWARD CULLEN! What are you doing? You should be ashamed! Your father should be ashamed! Good Lord, what has gotten into you?" Yes, Nurse Green, I'd like to know that too. "You snuck into my office with this slut, I mean, lady, and have been making out on _my hospital bed_! Get to class, both of you! And you're lucky you're not going to the office, young man!" she screamed, throwing the ice pack on the floor angrily. I smiled.

"Toodles!" I called sweetly, waving them out of the room. Edward just glared and grabbed Lauren's hand. Honestly, I was disappointed that he hadn't gotten in trouble.

"I'm feeling much better, Nurse Green. I think I'm going to go back to gym, if that's alright with you," I told the kindly nurse.

"Of course, Bella. Have a nice day," she squeaked, still sounding like she was in shock. "Dr. Cullen's boy! I never would have thought!" she muttered to herself, probably thinking I couldn't hear. People had been doing that a lot lately. What was I? Invisible or something? I left from the same exit Edward and Lauren had had left from, the back one that lead to the science buildings or in Fork's case, building.

After wandering around for a little bit, I heard someone giggling. _I wonder…_ I thought sarcastically to myself as I turned the corner. There, of course, were Edward and Lauren. He had her pressed up against the wall, kissing down her neck, trailing his nose across her jawbone.

Angry tears filled my eyes.

"You're unbelievable," I whispered, my voice so filled with rage that I couldn't raise it above that volume.

He continued to kiss her, oblivious to my very obvious presence. Lauren grinned as he gently pressed his lips to hers. That should have been me. I wanted it more than she did; she only needed a toy, a plaything. He wouldn't be her friend; he would just be used and tossed away like a rag doll. As angry as I was, I couldn't bear to see him go through that pain.

But I was still enraged.

"You're despicable!" I finally screamed. "You are the lowest, _most disgusting _creature I have ever laid eyes on!" Wait, no! That wasn't what I wanted to say at all! What I really wanted to say was, _"_YOU FUCKING TWAT-HEADED-MOTHER-FUCKING-BASTARD!" **(HAHAHA! The opportunity was too good to pass up! Thank you gee1995!)**

He finally raised his eyes from Lauren's chest. I snorted.

"All you ever think about is that _stupid, blond bimbo!_" I accused. "You used me and because I'm your friend, I'm not going to let you be used by _her._ Because I care about you," I told him, my voice choking off at the end.

"Maybe I don't need you as a friend!" He yelled, finally unlocking his hands from Lauren's waist. They clenched into fists, the veins on his hands jutting out of his skin. "Maybe I don't need you to care about me! I'm fine on my own, thank you. I'm tired of you tiptoeing around me, like the slightest touch will kill me! Victoria isn't here anymore. She is in jail. I'm _fine._"

Lauren's expression of rage turned into one of pleasure.

"Yeah," she called from behind Edward's shoulder. "He doesn't need you anymore. He has me!" she crowed, digging her claws into his back.

"I love you, babe," Edward murmured, twisting his neck so he could kiss her on the cheek. He loved her after one day. One day.

I finally realized something that I should have realized long, _long _ago.I wasn't good enough. I was never good enough. I wasn't a good enough friend, I wasn't good enough to be seen with him, and I wasn't good enough just to _be _with him. He obviously wanted something else, someone that wasn't me. I wanted to sob. And, in all honesty, I wanted to die.

"Yes. He has you," I stated simply, looking over the two of them. They simply oozed popularity.

"But, Edward," I addressed him for what would probably be the last time.

"Don't try and talk to me. Don't try and do anything. You've chosen to be somebody else, someone that you're not," he looked like he was going to protest that this wasn't who he was. I knew it wasn't him. The real Edward complained when we went shopping. The real Edward didn't want to talk to people like Lauren Mallory. But the real Edward was gone and he was the one that I loved. The one that was my friend.

"And I'm not going to be able to stop you." I choked on my words as he looked at me with ice instead of fire in his eyes. The molten pools of gold that I'd often imagined staring into as he kissed me had frozen solid. There was no tenderness there now, no love.

I realized that the tears were now pouring down my face in rivers. There was one thing I had to do before he was gone forever.

I slowly walked over, conscious of Lauren's gaze burning a hole into the center of my forehead. I glared at her, my fury probably a million times more intimidating then hers.

"Edward. I want you to know," I paused. What could I say? "I want you to know that you were my best friend, even when you weren't there. Even when I hadn't seen you for twelve long years, you were still my best friend. But now... you obviously want nothing to do with me. Goodbye." And I kissed him on the forehead, inhaling the sweet scent of his cool skin for the last time.

"Wait, Bella. I'm sorry—! It's not so set in stone," he cried, his eyes swimming with tears that shouldn't be shed for me. I wasn't good enough.

"Ah," I murmured, covering his perfect lips with a finger. "This is what you wanted. I can't live with you and _her_. It won't work."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice sounding defeated.

"I can't stand you with her. She'll make you unhappy," I told him, ignoring Lauren's loud hisses of anger. That wasn't really my reason. The actual explanation was that I would be overwhelmed with jealousy whenever I saw them together. I wouldn't be able to bear it. "Don't worry. You'll forget me easily," I whispered. Of course he would forget me. I was like a cloud in the sky, nothing extraordinary, nothing different. Just Bella the cloud on a cloudy day.

"I could never forget you," Edward murmured. I wanted to say something.

But instead of asking for elaboration, I turned around and walked away. If he wanted her, it would just be torture for me to see them. I could imagine myself, hiding in the back corner of the church where Lauren and Edward got married. I could imagine little children running around, who looked like perfect combinations of Edward and Lauren, the two most beautiful people on God's green Earth. Growing old together.... I should have been with him.

I tried to keep my back straight as I walked away from the speechless couple, but soon sobs racked my body, and I had to lean against the sign that cheerfully said "Welcome to Fork's High School!"

I tried to walk home but it started raining, just like any other day. So I just stood on the side of the street, feeling miserable.

A few cars drove by and a couple of them asked if I wanted a ride. I just shook my head mutely. I needed to be alone. Be left to dying all by myself.

Eventually, a bright yellow Porsche drove by. I tried to hide my face but it was too late. The car U-turned and stopped in the middle of the road.

"Get in," Alice commanded. I slowly trudged up to her car, attempting to dry myself off a bit, but as it was pouring rain, I decided it was useless. I sat in the passenger's seat. It was dead silent.

Eventually, Alice spoke.

"I'm going to kill him," she said murderously.

"It was my decision," I feebly protested.

"He drove you to it."

The car was silent as we stopped outside my house. I didn't get out.

"I'm staying over tonight," Alice announced. I nodded and walked into the house with Alice hot on my heels. After I ordered us a pizza, I gave Alice twenty bucks.

"Pay for the pizza with this. I'm going to go take a shower," I whispered. She looked at me worriedly, as if I was going to cut myself in the shower or something.

"Maybe you should—." I cut her off.

"Pay for the pizza with this. I'm going to go take a shower," I repeated and, keeping my face blank, wandered up the stairs.

When I came back down in my pajamas, I noticed that Alice inconspicuously looked at my wrists.

"Look. They're clean," I said harshly, shoving them into her hands. "I'm fine. Now let's watch a movie or something."

Alice, ignoring my tone, checked my hands, flipping them over and, once she was satisfied, silently brought the pizza into the living room where the TV was. I curled up into her side and, grabbing a slice of pizza, waited for her to find a movie.

"How about _Transformers_?" she asked.

"No!" I cried loudly. Alice looked over quickly, her eyes showing pure panic for the first time. "Me and Edward watched that!" I wailed. There began my breakdown. I sobbed for hours and Alice simply held me tight in her tiny arms. After a while, she began.

"You love him." It wasn't a question. It was a statement of the facts.

"Yes," I whispered. "For so long."

"I know, baby, I know."

**Aghhh! I hated this chapter! But it had to be done! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'M SOOOOO SORRY! I know a lot of you were expecting Bella to kill him or something but instead she relinquished her claim on him and blamed herself! Honestly, I feel horrible. But don't worry, there are plenty of twists and turns to come. Since you guys are fabulous, I'm going to possibly , maybe, certainly ask for 50 reviews? I know I'm a horrible person but **_**please?**_** With lots and lots of sugar and candy on top? **

**Also, I think I'm gonna update faster because it's annoying the hell out of me, having to wait for like a week. So... I guess that's good news. Uhh... yeah. Enjoy life. Peace out.  
**

**BTW, sorry for the insanely long author's notes lol.  
**


	9. Pity Date EPOV

Disclaimer: You think I own Twilight? I'm flattered but… HAHAHAHAHA!

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed for my 50 last chapter! Remember that every single one of them makes me smile and do a little happy dance in my head. But this happy dance was happier than the others because I broke 200 reviews! Thank you so much!**

**Look below and you will be pleasantly surprised. XD It doesn't really give away too much.  
**

**Chapter Nine- Pity Date**

EDWARD'S POINT OF VIEW (OMG are you seeing this???)

I think I just broke Bella's heart.

As pissed as I am about her stupid accusations, I can't help but feel terrible. Apparently, I was the reason for the ending of our friendship.

Lauren and I watched as she walked away. When Bella's shaking body finally made it out of the school grounds Lauren spoke.

"What a loser," she sneered and tugged on my arm to get me to go inside. When I didn't, she just shrugged and sauntered to the school, probably going to flirt with Tyler like she had at lunch. I remained standing there, even when it began to rain. Eventually, I saw Alice coming out of the school with Jasper. Neither was laughing or smiling like they normally would, especially Alice. Either they looked insane, furious, or devastated. I couldn't really tell.

I had a sinking feeling that their lack of euphoria (because usually they were overjoyed just to be near each other) had something (okay, a lot) to do with me.

I realized I was in grave danger as soon as they spotted me. They literally _glared_ at me like I was some military weapon used to destroy puppies. **(I don't really know where I got **_**that…**_**)**

"I'll see you later, Jasper," I heard Alice say threateningly as she walked over to me. I quickly looked around for an escape that she wouldn't see me go through. But, Alice would probably follow me to the ends of the Earth if the punishment was for Bella.

"What did you do to her?" she growled as she stalked over.

"N-nothing!" I stammered. When Alice's temper got ignited… you'd have to live under the ocean to escape her rage.

"Oh, really?" she mocked, finally reaching me. "Because when I looked out the window during Trig, I _happened _to notice Bella sobbing against that sign over there," she roared, gesturing over her shoulder. "And you just staring at her like the fucking asshole you are! Care to explain?" She placed her hands on her hips and glared at me. I was her brother! Didn't that mean anything?

"She's the one who over reacted and said we couldn't be friends anymore," I managed to squeak out in my defense.

She sighed. "I'm going to go get Bella and save her from walking home in the rain because _you _drove her here today." I grimaced. I had forgotten about that. If I had remembered, I might have given her a ride home. Even as I thought the words, I knew they were, unfortunately, untrue.

"I am going to sleep over at her house and if I don't get a call from you saying sorry and asking, no, _begging _for her forgiveness, you will wake up in the morning with one less limb, if you know what I mean," she threatened, poking my chest with a sharp, manicured finger. I shuddered.

"Understood," I muttered.

"What's that?" she yelled.

"Understood!" I cried at her volume.

So, that's how I ended up locked in my bedroom, toying with the brand new cell phone in my hands. I had already dialed three times but I chickened out before the first ring had even begun.

_Come on,_ I told myself. _This is your only chance to be friends with her and get Alice off your back._

I sighed in defeat and dialed the number, not pressing the end button at all.

"Hello?" Charlie's voice sounded over the phone.

"Charlie? Hey, it's Edward," I answered, fighting the urge to drop my phone out the window and hope some bear would eat it.

"Oh, hi Edward. I'm assuming you want to talk to Bella, right?" I heard Bella's voice in the background.

No, Charlie. That's actually the last thing I want to do right now. "Yeah. Can she come to the phone?"

"Hold on," Charlie stated then covered up the mouthpiece of the phone poorly. I could clearly hear the conversation.

"It's Edward," Charlie hissed. "Do you want to talk to him?"

"No!" Bella yelped fearfully. Well, then the feeling is mutual. Bye, Bella! See you at high school reunion! I heard Alice murmur something to her in the background. Bella sighed and said, "Give me the phone."

"Edward?" she whispered. "Why are you calling me?" I could tell she was trying to remain strong but was actually on the brink of tears.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. It wasn't fair to you," I stated quickly, dying to be off the phone. Maybe Lauren was on Facebook….

"You want to apologize?" she asked in wonder.

"Yes," I hissed impatiently. "Do you forgive me or not?"

I could have slapped myself on the forehead. Bella was too perceptive for her own good; she would see right through the charade.

She paused for a moment to mutter something to Alice. Then she directed her comments to me. "A person who wants to apologize wouldn't sound so impatient."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose, a habit that I had picked up from Carlisle when he was stressed. "Look, Bella. I'm sorry for the way I treated you, but I just don't understand what the problem is."

"Then there's no point in apologizing because you don't really mean it!" she cried, obviously frustrated with me.

"I'm not saying I don't mean it! I just don't know what your problem is. I would like to be friends though," I added. I really did want to be friends with the kindest, most beautiful girl on Earth but she was too good for me. I could never really be with her. She would always find someone better wherever she went. I'm just a selfish asshole who doesn't deserve her.

That was why I was with trash like Lauren.

"_My _problem? Who's the one that said I followed you around like a puppy? I'm not one of your groupies, Edward," she said, her voice ice cold.

Fuck. "You heard that?" I managed to choke out.

"Yes."

"That was just—!" I tried futilely to explain.

"Save it. Look, when you know what you did wrong, find me. But for now… have fun being someone else for a while." And she hung up. Her words burned like acid against my skin.

I fell asleep on my bed, still fully clothed, trying to understand what I did.

When I woke up, I realized I had forgotten to set my alarm and jumped out of bed, immediately looking for something to wear. There was no time to shower. I considered wearing the same thing that I did yesterday, but people _cough cough _Alice_ cough cough _would have murdered me. So, I ended up wearing some grayish T-shirt with a 9 on it and a pair of blue jeans.

I smirked at my reflection. I hated the shopping part but the aftermath was great.

Later that morning in the halls of the school, I saw that ass Mike talking to Bella, who looked extremely uncomfortable. She smiled apologetically and shook her head just a tiny bit. Mike's eyes narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed as he became a little more forward.

"Hey, babe!" Lauren sang, throwing her arms around my neck forcefully and pulling my lips to her. It felt… _enjoyable_… I guess, but there were no fireworks. No uncontrollable passion. No… anything.

"Hi," I greeted her, still staring at her as Mike leaned over my Bella. No! Not "my". Just Bella. He had her trapped.

"So, what do you wanna do today? We could skip and go to my place. I know you hate Psychology," she suggested, twisting my chin painfully so I was staring at her.

"I, uh, can't," I stated pathetically. The last thing I wanted to do was "go to her place". What would Bella think of me? "I have a test."

"And that matters why…?" Lauren giggled. "I know I'm way more important than any test."

"Yeah. Okay. I'll be right back," I said distractedly and headed over to where Mike had trapped my poor, innocent Bella.

"Fuck off, Newton," I said ever so eloquently as I sauntered over. Bella glared at me but at the same time looked grateful.

"What's it to you? She's not your girlfriend!" he said, enraged. Wait, if he thought I was coming over to stop him from asking her on a date….

"You were asking her on a date?" I growled my voice sounding like a caveman's might after gargling saltwater. Bella put her soft hand on my shoulder and subtly shook her head.

"Well, yeah," he sneered. "And you're not going to stop me." He grinned as if he had won the argument. I rolled my eyes. He sounded like one of those five year olds who are determined to run away to Alaska.

"Once again, _fuck off_. Stay away from her, or should I make the message clearer?" I asked, clenching my hands into fists. He gulped.

"Bye, Bella!" he squeaked and ran off like the coward he was.

"I could have handled it," she grumbled pathetically. Then she seemed to remember her manners. "Oh and thanks."

"Don't you dare be thanking _him_, Bells," a deep voice said from behind me. I turned and immediately backed away from the humongous giant of an Indian. Jacob Black was one of her best friends since she had visited Charlie. She told him everything and must have told him about me too.

"This isn't any of your business, Black," I sneered.

"Oh, but I believe it is, _Cullen_," he challenged, raising an eyebrow. "She told me about what you did to her and I'm not going to let you hurt her again." I rolled my eyes. In addition to being her best friend, Bella had also mentioned, blushingly, of course, that Jacob was in love with her and had been since third grade. He hadn't ever told her but it was obvious. I definitely believed it.

"Jake? When did you get here?" she asked. "How long have you been listening?"

"Yeah, I would like to know the same thing," I glared at him, but couldn't help but be intimidated; the boy was six inches taller than me.

"Since now," he answered semi-politely, since Bella had asked. "What are you doing with _him_?" he scowled jealously and I smirked.

"He just saved me from the wrath of Mike Newton," she half smiled.

"I could have done that," Jacob complained, pouting. She laughed at his childlike expression. Jacob suddenly turned extremely uncomfortable. "By the way, Bells, I was wondering…." Oh, no.

"Yes?" she wondered politely, completely oblivious to what he was about to ask.

"I-I was wondering if you-you would like to go on a date with me F-Friday night," he asked quickly, the words tripping over themselves.

Bella's expression turned to one of shock. Then cold calculation. She took a deep breath and raising an eyebrow towards me as a challenge, she spoke.

"I'd love to, Jacob."

Fuck.

**HA! Is that a cliffy? I don't really know but… hehehhe. Ah yes, Jacob has been introduced to the story. For those of you who hate Jacob (I don't know if it's just me), don't worry; he has a short part in this story (see chapter title). Alright guys, you asked for it. Yep, 60 reviews would be super nice. But now you get an actual prize. If you include your name in the review, I will try my best to get your name in the story somehow.  
**

**Sorry for the short chapter but I wanted to get it out there!  
**


	10. Stalkers?

Disclaimer: Once upon a time, there was a little girl who wanted to own Twilight very badly so she wished for the copyrights to Twilight from her fairy godmother. Her fairy godmother said,

"NO WAY, bitch! Are you insane? Stephenie will murder me with her lawyers before I could even attempt to talk to her! Then she'd burn the copy of Midnight Sun and accuse us all of being serial killers! Then she'd—!"

"Alright, damn it! Just shut up and go hide in my closet!"

**I only got 50 reviews but honestly I LOVE YOU ALL ANYWAY BECAUSE I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD POSSIBLY GET THIS MANY! Lol thanks guys. Oh! And a very big thank you to Br0nz3Comet for being so impossibly sweet and adding me to her community **_**Forever 17**_**. I looked around and it's filled with even more impossibly sweet Twilight stories, so check it out and subscribe! I'm sure she and a bunch of authors will appreciate it. **

**Also, any new names included in reviews WILL be disregarded. The names I will be using (you lucky 19 :D) will be starred (*) like that. Also, if you don't like the way I made you, TOO BAD! (Except for you Vivian because you asked so nicely. And you too Lee Lee. But you already know who you are.) Enjoy chapter 10.**

**Chapter Ten- Stalkers?**

_BPOV_

I didn't know why I was going out on a date with my best friend. I knew I didn't love him and I wouldn't love him in the near future. Any love I felt for him would only be a faint flicker of the love I still (however pathetically) held for my Edward.

Yes, I had told him he was a selfish jackass, but _someone _had to knock some sense into him for God's sake! He couldn't just go on a rampage and expect to just weasel his way back into my heart. Unfortunately, he had to know half of it was already reserved for him.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did.

"You are such a bitch, Bella!" Lauren screamed right into my ear. "You made Edward break up with me! How dare you intervene in _my relationship!_"

"Lauren, I had nothing to do with it," I explained patiently for what must have been the millionth time. "It was probably Edward's decision." Inside my head I was sobbing so hard. EDWARD WAS SINGLE! My mind screamed happily. HE'S MINE! MINE MINE MINE! It repeated in an uncanny Alice impression, not that Alice was selfish like me.

"Probably isn't good enough, Swan!" Lauren began, _probably _about to start on another rant about how horrible and ugly and disgusting I am.

"For God's sake, Lauren! Please don't start the "You're so ugly" rant. My ears will bleed."

"I'm glad you already know," she sneered and a blush graced my cheeks. Angry tears filled my eyes.

"You know what, Lauren? My self confidence is already at an all time low right now so could you cut it out?" I pleaded, rubbing my temple with my thumb and pointer finger. I wiped at the tear harshly, not wanting to let her know that she was getting to me.

The two new girls from out of state sauntered over to Lauren's side. Of course Lauren had sunk her claws into them already. They were drop dead gorgeous. I shuffled my feet awkwardly and pushed a few bits of hair in front of my face. I didn't want them to be able to insult me because of it.

"So, this… _thing_ is Bella?" one asked, pointing carelessly at me. My head snapped up immediately and I pushed the hair out of my eyes. Let them see my face; at least it wasn't covered with makeup.

"The one Edward dumped you for?" the other clarified, looking disgusted.

The original Lauren looked embarrassed. I laughed at her expression because she thought she had lost Edward to me when it wasn't me at all. Edward was just a player.

"Bella, I'd like you to meet my two camp friends, Lauren Robinson*and Lauren Packard*," she said, pointing at the two girls. They looked like they could build a shine at Lauren Mallory's feet at any moment. Lauren R. seemed to have a slightly crazed look about her, like a cult member might look at their prophet.

The other one just seemed bored with Forks, as many of the teenagers here were.

"Pleasure," I muttered.

"Look, Swan. Unless you admit you corrupted my sweet Eddiekins' mind, you will pay for your actions!" Lauren M. screeched. Her followers creepily folded their arms at the exact same time. They looked like Barbie guards.

I remained silent.

"Fine then. Go to hell."

"Right back at you."

Needless to say, I was not in the best mood when Jake asked when I wanted to leave for dinner that night.

I sighed. "Just pick me up at seven, okay?"

"Is everything okay, honey?" Jacob asked, tilting his monstrous head to the side like a giant puppy. It didn't look that cute. I was insanely Edward deprived; I hadn't talked to him in a week. I didn't know how I had handled it at the orphanage without him. Oh, that's right; I was miserable.

"Dandy," I snapped and huffed off to where Alice was trying and failing to inconspicuously suck Jasper's face off.

Jacob came at exactly seven that night. He was dressed in some (miraculously) un-ripped dark wash jeans and a blue pinstriped shirt that hugged all his delicious muscles. If I was in love with him, I probably would have been thanking every god of every religion that they had placed this muscular being before me. But, as I was in love with another, I wished that Jacob was Edward.

"Hey, Jacob," I greeted morosely.

"Bella," he said, nodding his head. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let me just grab my bag."

I cringed internally at the formality of the situation. We never sounded like we were going to a funeral. We were always just talking and laughing, like normal people on a date would do. But he was nervous and I was just crabby and irritable like a girl PMSing.

The drive to Port Angeles was silent. Dead silent. As in, the crushing awkwardness of the situation caused both of us to be speechless.

We parked in the back where there were a few spare parking spaces.

"Well, uh… ready to go in?" I asked stupidly.

He smiled bitterly in response and that same smile was plastered onto his face as we walked up to the hostess in front.

"Table for two under Black," he said.

I could tell the girl was having heart palpitations just looking at his muscles.

"Okay, Mr. Black," she purred. "I'll get your table ready, and then we can get down to business." I suppressed a gag. "My name is Marcela* by the way." This Marcela was gorgeous, in an exotic kind of way. She has long flowing black hair and an effortless smoky eyed look that made any girl jealous.

"Jacob," he introduced, practically drooling all over his nice shirt.

They just eyed each other for a few minutes leaving me to stand there awkwardly.

"Um… Jacob? Pumpkin?" I cringed, not wanting to give him the wrong idea. But he seemed to be enjoying flirting with this waitress. "Aren't we kind of on a date here?" I interjected.

"Uhm," he responded intelligently.

"Marcela?" I asked, she tilted her head towards me but her eyes stared at Jake. "Could we hurry along to the table please?"

She slowly walked over to the table. I noticed we passed the bathrooms on our way there and made a face. They were emanating some foul stench no Glade air freshener could battle. Marcela was writing her number down on a napkin as soon as we got there.

"Call me," she said, sauntering away.

Jacob grinned like he had won the lottery and turned to face me.

"Did you see _that_?" he asked excitedly, bouncing in his chair like Emmett always did.

"Unfortunately."

"Come on, Bells! Don't be like that," he moaned.

"I'm so sorry I interrupted your time with Marcela over there," I said sarcastically. I was about to say more, but then our waitress came over.

"Hello. My name is Pamela* and I'm going to be your waitress tonight. Would like some drinks to start?" she asked quietly. Pamela was also gorgeous but she seemed humble enough not to know that she was. But because she wasn't oozing confidence like Marcela over there, Jacob took no notice. I snorted under my breath. Men!

"I'll have a root beer," Jake said shortly, twisting his neck around so he could find Marcela.

"Me too," I told her, hopefully a little kinder than Jake had said his order.

"Two root beers?" she clarified, looking at me for confirmation. I nodded. "Okay, I'll be right back with your drinks." Then she smiled sympathetically at me and walked away.

"Where the hell is that hostess when you need her?" Jacob muttered, rudely throwing himself across the table so he had a better view over my head.

"Christ! Jacob get off the table! And we don't need that slut Marcela **(NO OFFENSE! You're a wonderful person, Marcela. Lol.) **Aren't we supposed to be on a date?" I hissed.

Jacob didn't respond, merely looked around, twisting around like a child. I sighed and looked around the sizeable restaurant (for Port Angeles at least). There were a few couples sitting at private tables in different corners of the room. I recognized girl from my Trig class, Kellie*, sitting with a tall, muscular guy with hair of a reddish brown hue that I found strangely gorgeous.

After I finished fawning over Kellie's handsome date, I realized something absolutely awful as Jacob was still lying on his stomach over the cheap plastic table.

"Jacob! Down boy! The waitress is coming back!"

He slowly returned to his former position.

"Two root beers," she said, placing the drinks in front of us. "And remember that La Bella Italia has free refills." Jake immediately downed the soda gratefully. "Which I suppose we'll need. Have you decided what you would like to order?"

I coughed awkwardly. I hadn't even looked at the menu. I picked the first reasonably priced item I found.

"I'll have the mushroom ravioli," I cried triumphantly. Jacob raised an eyebrow at my tone and calmly ordered two orders of the New York strip steak. That boy could eat and eat and never get full. I shook my head at the black hole staring at me.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom, okay, Bells?" Jacob asked abruptly, staring at something or, more likely, _someone_.

"Yeah," I responded, irritated. If he didn't want to be on a date with me, he could have just said so.

I looked over at Kellie again. She seemed infatuated with her date. I smiled to myself, glad of her fortune. She was a sweet girl, always looking to help others. When I needed help in Trig, she was the only one who was willing to help.

After about ten minutes, Jacob and my meals came except there was one problem. There was still no Jacob. I decided to go check on him, to see if he was sick. I noticed Kellie's date had gone missing; maybe I could convince the beautiful stranger to see if I was okay.

I snorted at the thought.

_Hi Kellie's date! Could you go see if my date is alright or if he's barfing his guts out on the bathroom floor? Make sure not to get any on your shoes!_

I shuddered.

But, luckily for me, I had no need for any of that. When I walked over to the bathrooms, there was an angry Jacob standing next to a very frightened Marcela. They both didn't notice me but were instead looking at a bronze haired Adonis, aka Kellie's date. As I heard the man's voice I knew who it was immediately.

"You're going out on a date _with Bella!_ Not this… trash. I thought you were in love with her since the third grade and now that you have your chance, you screw it up!" Edward yelled.

"What? Like your record's clean? You're the one who broke her! You screwed up more than I did," Jacob shot back, grasping Marcela for confidence.

Edward's eyes narrowed to slits. His normally emerald green eyes had turned an ugly blackish-greenish color. "You think I don't know that?" Edward whispered, his voice hoarse and broken.

"You think I don't know I screwed everything up? God gave me back Bella and she tried to help me, but I got so damn caught up in myself and the sudden popularity that I was just stupid. If it's you she wants, that's what she'll get, but don't screw yourself over like I did or both of you will be unhappy. I'm going to go back to my table and pretend like none of this ever happened. For both of your sakes, release this girl to do her job and _you,"_ he hissed, focusing his glare on Jacob who squirmed uncomfortably.

"Get back to your date or I will kick you over there myself. If she loves you, there's nothing I can do." His voice suddenly turned to hopelessness and longing. "I won't come between you two. But _I'll always be waiting in the wings. She'll always have that spare option if she wants it."_ (Eclipse) He sighed.

I did want it. I wanted it badly. But it wouldn't be my spare option. Edward was my only option. I had no choice in the matter. No matter how angry at him I was, my heart melted to hear his regret, his sorrow, the simple pureness of his words.

"Edward," I choked out, a knot in my throat and tear filling my eyes. I reached for him slowly and he backed away from me. He looked shocked and embarrassed, probably hoping I hadn't heard his speech or seen Jacob's antics.

"Bella, love, please. I feel terrible. I missed my chance and I… was too late. Go be happy with Jacob," he said, though his eyes were filled with a great pain, as if it caused him agony to be letting me go.

"I heard everything," I said tenderly. "And I _saw _everything." I glared at Jacob.

"You. Get out of here. I'll speak with you later," I stated threateningly. Jacob escaped back to the dining room, probably going to pay the bill.

"Bella, go with him. I can't let you see me. I've been absolutely… not myself. I didn't know I had it in me to be that cruel. You have no idea how sorry I am," he muttered, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked at the ground, the first blush I had seen in a while gracing his cheeks.

I was tempted to give into my paranoid side, the side that said Edward knew I was there the whole time and everything was just for show. But just then, he looked into my eyes. They burned with an intensity I hadn't seen in a long while. It convinced me that he wouldn't lie, at least not now.

"Hey," I said quietly, lifting his chin with my finger, so he would look me in the eyes. "I'm sorry for what I said too. No matter what happens you can always come to me. You'll always be my lo-best friend," I finished quickly. I blushed too as I realized what I had almost said. Love. He was my love. But his knowledge only consisted of me being his friend.

"So, are we friends?" he asked tentatively, his voice filling with happiness and hope.

"The best."

We exited the restaurant and walked around the small town, talking and laughing as if we hadn't seen each other in years.

I saw him eyeing a music shop a few blocks down, so I giggled and said, "Edward. Just go. I'll be at the book store if you need me."

He smiled and flew to the shop. I heard the distant tinkle of bells and chuckled to myself. Edward was always so eager when it came to music.

I walked into the bookstore and was greeted by a pimply teenage guy, probably around fifteen, who was wearing a black shirt with the words, "_Whenever Giles sends me on a mission, he always says "please." And afterwards I get a cookie._"**(Buffy fans anyone?) **I looked through their meager selection from the classics and decided not to buy anything. I owned all the books they had in stock.

I left the small store feeling disappointed. They obviously wanted to appeal to the population of people who read ludicrous stories about vampires and humans falling in love. I snorted to myself. What was society coming to?

I checked down the street for Edward, as I was obviously getting a ride home from him but he was nowhere in sight.

Maybe I could find his car; it wasn't as if Port Angeles was that big, maybe ten blocks in each direction.

I ducked into an alley which was a shortcut to the Port Angeles mall. It had the biggest parking lot in town so it was plausible that he had parked there.

I heard some footsteps behind me. It was a group of scruffy looking men. When they saw me, they waved with goofy grins on their faces. I sped up and grasped the pepper spray Charlie had given me.

Before I could reach the end of the alley, a hand wrapped around my waist and a different hand covered my mouth before I could scream.

"Where are you going, darling?" A voice asked, sounding friendly. But then it commanded to someone, "Get that bottle away from her. I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on the fun." The men laughed raucously and someone kicked my only weapon away from me. Panic filled me and my instincts told me to flee but it was impossible with the very strong, very hairy arms wrapped around my waist and neck.

"If you knew what we had planned for _you, _you'd be screaming your head off," the leader seemed to chuckle. I didn't scream, knowing it was hopeless.

"Hmm…" the man mused to his gang members. "Brave, this one is. And pretty too," he said running a hand through my hair. While he was distracted with my hair (gag) I bit the hand of the one holding me.

He jumped back, howling and clutching his hand, and I immediately screamed, "EDWARD! Help, please! The police! Anyone!" I felt a wallop to the back of my head and I fell to the ground, not having enough time to brace myself for the imminent fall. I immediately burst into tears, the pain in both my head and face overwhelming. I still attempted to get up though, which soon proved to be a bad decision.

"Shut it or we'll make this a lot longer and bloodier than necessary," he ordered, planting his foot on my back and slamming me back into the ground. I felt blood trickle down my chin and I whimpered pathetically.

"Now," he rasped. "Let's get started."

**Cliffy! That was the first good one I've had in a while. I hope you all liked that chapter; I know you were dying because Edward was such an ass and it looked like she might end up with Jacob *shudder*. And of course as soon as everything is alright, Bella has to go get kidnapped. I told you there was more drama to come! Please review this chapter; I'll keep the minimum at 60, so… well I was going to say no pressure but… PRESSURE! I channel my powers of persuasion to you over the Internet. PLEASE REVIEW! **


	11. Backtracking

Disclaimer: Even in some alternate universe I would not own Twilight. It's not going to happen guys.

**Sorry for the wait everyone. I have a volunteer job where I'm working 6-8 hours a day so I'm completely exhausted. **

**Thank you all for the fabulous reviews. I finally broke 300! My goal by the end of this story is 500 reviews. Unfortunately, I don't think there will be many chapters after this one because I'm not going to write about their relationship. But who knows what a good amount of reviews will do? But keep an eye out for updates on my other story, **_**The Piano Man**_**, once this story is finished. Again, thank you, and enjoy chapter eleven. And names will still be starred. (*)**

_All evidence has been buried  
All tapes have been erased  
But your footsteps give you away  
So you're backtracking_

_Backdrifts- Radiohead_

**Chapter Eleven- Backtracking**

"_Shut it or we'll make this a lot longer and bloodier than necessary," he ordered, planting his foot on my back and slamming me back into the ground. I felt blood trickle down my chin and I whimpered pathetically._

"_Now," he rasped. "Let's get started."_

"No! Someone help, please!" I cried out pitifully. He responded by digging his army boot even farther into my back.

"Did you hear what I said?" he growled, now absently grinding my face into the dirty pavement of the alley. "Shut—it—now."

I clenched my jaw shut though my instincts told me to kick, scream, run, gnaw my own arm off if necessary, but none had a pleasant ending (and I personally didn't see how gnawing my arm off would be helpful but who knows?) Traitor tears fell onto the concrete and the man laughed when he saw them.

"Not so brave are we, little girl?" he giggled, childlike. Then abruptly the giggling stopped and he cursed under his breath.

"Bella!" an angel's voice cried.

"Edward," I whispered. Suddenly, I found myself wishing I hadn't been found by Edward. They would beat him up or kill him or something even worse. "Edward, please. Don't let them hurt you."

"I already called the police!" he yelled, completely ignoring me. "They're right around the corner. They'll be here in a minute!"

The man who continued to hover above me murmured something to a nearby man and that man reached into his back pocket. I saw something sliver glimmer in the hazy half-light.

"Edward!" I screamed hysterically. "He's got a knife!"

I heard the running footsteps of the man and the long wailing siren of the police but every possible iota of my being was concentrated on the Adonis frozen against the alley wall, like a deer in headlights. Not so silent tears now flowed freely down my face.

"STOP!" A high, feminine voice commanded. The man's footsteps stopped immediately, his shadowy form mere meters away from my love. "This is Agent Brady of the Port Angeles Police Department. You all have the right to remain silent."

It all happened very fast from there. I learned that the woman who saved me was named Scarlett* and she had an even worse experience with gang then I did.

The men were quickly thrown into a police car, spitting out insults whenever they could wrestle free of the police men and women's grips over their mouths.

I remained lying on the ground, trembling, until I felt a familiar warm hand on my shoulder. A hand that might not have been able to ever touch me again. I grabbed it, and dragged Edward to the ground with me and clenched him to me, squeezing so hard that my arms overlapped around his back. I looked up until my lips were level with his ear. The dingy street light flickered and died above us.

"Edward," I choked out. "They could have killed you. He would have stabbed you, run you into the wall with that knife and I never would hear your voice again or see your eyes or-or—." My voice broke off as the sick images danced through my head, taunting me with their horrors. He rubbed my back soothingly as more salty tears stained the fabric of his shirt.

"You're worried about me?" he asked, chuckling. "You're bleeding everywhere and you're worried _I_ got hurt?"

I blushed but the there was no light except for the red and blue flashing of the police cars so Edward didn't notice.

"Edward?" I asked meekly, burying my head into his shoulder.

He grunted in response.

But before I could tell him how much it meant to me that he actually came to rescue me, an EMT came over and dragged me away on a stretcher, leaving a very confused and panicked Edward crouching on the pavement.

**EPOV**

The next few days waiting for Bella to get out of the hospital were simply agonizing. She wouldn't pick up the phone when I called, she wasn't allowed to see visitors, and Carlisle said she was just… silent. I was hoping that it just hurt to talk because of the enormous bruise on her back.

When she returned to school, everyone was hysterical. Alice was sobbing into her shoulder, Emmett practically carried her everywhere, and Rosalie was… the same.

I, however, was still expected to be the hottest, most confident, not caring jackass of the school.

Bella was trying to pretend that the last two weeks hadn't happened, that I had never treated her cruelly but it was like a gigantic pink elephant in the room. We couldn't ignore the steady trickle of girls always fighting for my attention. We couldn't ignore the fact that something had changed between us.

Take a conversation, for example.

"Bella! How are you doing?"

"You're talking to me?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah."

"I'm good, I suppose."

"Cool."

And that was our conversation. It was like when she had just moved here; we were still incredibly shocked to see each other in the hallways. She was obviously over it, yet there we were; talking like the awkward teenagers we were.

**So sorry for the shortness of this chapter I am just having terrible writer's block with this! And sorry, Lee Lee, for getting your hopes up. I'm sure you'll be in this soon! Please review and give me some ideas; I just have no idea what's going on. When I say GIVE ME IDEAS, I mean it, so review with those creative brains of yours and give me some ideas!**


	12. Return of the Evil Witch Woman

Disclaimer: None. Zero. I OWN NOTHING, OKAY? Freaking crazy people.

**How'd I go from 44 reviews a chapter to 20? Was last chapter really that bad? Oh, right. It was. SORRY!**

**Chapter Twelve- Return of the Evil Witch Woman**

_BPOV_

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I muttered angrily to myself as I stared at my new biology partner, Louise*.

There was a fucking wall in my path. Stupid, fucking wall.

No, not literally.

But that stupid, fucking wall prevented me from talking like a normal person to Edward. I didn't know what was going on but whenever I saw him, my brain turned into a pulsating mass of pinkish goo. (Eww… mental picture.)

Our conversations were nothing like the hour long ones we used to have. I wanted them back. Badly.

I wanted to be in love with Edward again, completely and utterly trusting of the man who saved me from certain death/rape. But I couldn't be. I was too afraid he would leave me again, become another person of whom I had no knowledge. Become the monster within. I didn't even know he had it in him to be that cruel.

After biology, I saw Edward in the hallway and waved. He grinned at me and sauntered over, leaving a trail of drooling ladies in his wake. I saw Vivian* reach out to tap his shoulder but he brushed by them too fast for her to make a move. I restrained a grin and made sure my expression showed that he had absolutely no effect on my hormones.

"Hey, Bells," he said casually. I noted how very obvious it was that I didn't have any effect on him. I bristled. I wasn't that ugly.

"Hey."

I made a little awkward turtle in my mind.

"So, how's Biology without me?" he flinched visibly. That wasn't the thing that Edward had wanted to come out of his mouth.

"Eh. It kinda sucks, you know?" I told him, trying to guilt him into apologizing. And it worked.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't in my right mind." His angel's voice dripped with sincerity and loss. I smiled at him. "Another thing," he began. "The middle of a hallway might not be the best place to bring this up, but why are you avoiding talking to me? Everything's so…."

"Awkward?" I suggested. He nodded and waited for my explanation. I sighed. "I…."

He heard the hesitation in my voice.

"Please, Bella?" he breathed right in my ear. I shivered.

"It's embarrassing!" I choked out loudly. I decided against the word "desperate".

"Come on; I won't tell a soul!" he insisted.

I sighed again. "I'm afraid… I'm afraid that if… if I get close to you again, that… you'll leave me. Right after you apologized… I forgot that… it was even a possibility. But now… I've just been thinking…."

His eyes widened. "Bella, I'll never—!" Before he could finish his apology, a voice came on the loudspeaker.

"_Edward Cullen please report to the principal's office immediately."_

"Come with me," he ordered, leaving no room for argument.

I trudged along behind him, ignoring the shrill ringing of the late bell. He was always a few paces ahead of me. Occasionally, I caught my name in his grumblings but otherwise, nothing.

When we got to the office, I saw the new intern from Washington University, Amanda*, fluttering her eyelashes at Edward from across the room. I set her on fire in my imagination. She seemed to notice my glaring and simply grinned at me and turned back to her work. That woman could make her swivel chair look sexy; how was that even possible? I fumed silently.

Ms. Cope looked up from her work. "Ah! Hello, Edward!" she said way too cheerfully for anytime before noon. She didn't even notice me. I was grateful; I didn't want to have to explain my obviously unnecessary presence. "You have someone here to see you!"

"Okay…?" Edward began uncertainly as a tall figure stepped out from behind an oddly placed pillar in the far corner of the office. Her red hair gleamed in the florescent light and teeth shone pearl white.

"NO!" Edward's yell sounded, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Hello, Eddie," the woman purred, taking a confident step forward. He automatically stepped back.

Something was very wrong here. Edward was never afraid. Edward didn't step back.

"I thought you were locked away!" his normally smooth voice cracked. I put a comforting hand on his shoulder even though I had no idea what I was comforting him for.

Then, suddenly, it all clicked. Edward's fear, the woman's bright red hair and cat-like figure; this was the famous Victoria.

"This is her?" I whispered shakily.

"Stay behind me, Bella," Edward barked, shoving me behind his tall frame. "She's unstable!"

I looked over at Ms. Cope's desk and realized she had left.

"Now, that's not very nice, Edward. You should be more polite to your mother," Victoria laughed, an exhilarated sound. "Actually, I've been free of jail for a couple of months now… did you hear of the prison break in Indiana?" She giggled girlishly and Edward backed away a few paces.

"Bella, I want you to run as soon as we get close enough to the door, okay?" he told me hurriedly, as if he expected me to comply.

"No way. I'll never leave you alone with… _her, _Edward."

"Please, Bella! Now is not the time to be difficult!" he growled at me. "I think she has a gun," he explained, eyeing a bulge in the front pocket of her coat. "I want _you to run_. Please!" he begged, unshed tears now filling his eyes. "You can't die. I won't allow it."

"Hey, hey, hey, lovebirds," Victoria cooed. "No talking."

Ms. Cope slowly entered the room, staring at us. She inched toward the phone.

"LADY!" Victoria screeched, pulling the gun out and pointing it straight at poor, innocent Ms. Cope who screamed. The gun did not tremble. "Don't touch the phone unless you want a bullet in your face. Got it?" Ms. Cope fainted onto the floor. Victoria stared at her for a moment, making sure she wasn't faking. Edward took the opportunity to back us toward the door again.

"No, no, no… that's not the right move, son," she sang mockingly and danced forward, as graceful as Alice on her best day . Edward snarled in front of me.

"I am not your son!" he growled, sounding like the angry mountain lion he told me his favorite animal was.

Victoria hissed and stepped even closer to us. Edward's arms were preventing me from jumping in front of him like I wanted to. I struggled futilely in his strong grasp.

"Edward! Please! Your life is much more important than mine!" I screamed, trying to shove him out of harm's way but he was like stone.

"Never say that," he snapped, not even looking at me. "You are my world; how can that not be important?"

Victoria stepped closer until she pointed the gun right at Edward's forehead.

"Yes, Edward. Let the lady take the shot for you. I only have one bullet in here anyway," she giggled, shaking her gun for emphasis. She sounded absolutely insane. I shuddered.

"One bullet?" I heard Edward mumble to himself as he backed us away from her again. I realized that we had backed into a shelf with mountains of files on it. There was a huge stack of loose papers with a large, decorative paper weight on it.

Wait… holy fuck! A paperweight could totally distract her for a few seconds. I felt my hand creep towards the object.

Victoria began talking again. "You know, I wouldn't be going after you if you hadn't killed my husband."

"I didn't kill James; he got in a car accident," Edward sighed. Even in a dire situation, he still got annoyed. Yes, the wonders of human emotion.

"That's what all murders say," she snarled, confidently stepping forward. I had the rock clenched tightly in my hand. I was prepared to throw it, but then decided that it would be better to give it to Edward as there was only a 5% chance I would actually hit her.

I gently removed Edward's arm from my waist and slipped the rock in his hand. His entire body tensed and he started breathing faster as he realized what he would have to do.

Victoria stepped forward again so now she was about three meters away. Her finger inched towards the trigger of the gun and Edward was frozen. Frozen, and she was going to kill him.

"Throw it now!" I whispered in his ear. Suddenly, he became my Edward again, the one that is brave and true and always knows what to do.

He threw and hit her square in the hand, causing her to drop the gun. Edward launched himself at her while yelling, "Get the gun, Bella! The gun!" I ran, un-clumsily for once, and picked up the weapon, putting the safety back on like Charlie taught me.

For once, I was glad to have a policeman for a father.

My quiet moment of relief was shattered in one instant when I saw Edward wrestling with Victoria. It seemed like an evenly matched fight but Victoria might have been getting tired. But then she would roll over and pin Edward to the ground.

I simply watched in horror until I found paperweight number two.

I threw.

**Hehehe. Who will she hit? **

**Sorry guys. I'm really trying but I need some inspiration. When I feel like nobody likes the story I don't write. But this update time was unacceptable, even for me. I don't know that last time I posted a chapter lol. Sorry! Please review cause reviews=love. :D **

**Xo becky.**


	13. Epiphany

Disclaimer: Nada, senoritas o senores. Are there any guys who read fanfic? I'd really like to know.

**First of all, thanks. Second of all, I have a dirty mind. **_**Readhead232 **_**when you said, 'OMBJ', I'm sorry to admit that the first thing I thought was 'Oh my blow job!' Haha. Anyway, here's chapter… uh… fuck. I gotta go look it up. Chapter 13! And you know what? Why the fuck do I get inspiration to write at 2:00 in the fucking morning? That's when I cuss the most too! AND THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER!**

**WARNING: Cussing to come. **

**Chapter Thirteen- Epiphany **

_I threw._

And, when it really counted, I missed and hit the glass window.

"FUCK!" I screamed loudly. Victoria looked towards me and I grinned wildly, immediately realizing the opening Edward would have. He, being pinned down by her, rolled her over onto the broken glass in the room and she screamed. **(Yes, I realize that the glass would have gone in the other direction, but let's suspend reality for a moment, shall we?) **

"I'll kill you, you fucking bastard!" she screeched, but her voice was weakening. Edward pressed her harder into the ground.

You know how in the movies, everyone is always fighting with limbs missing and glass imbedded in their skin and blood pouring out of their wounds? Well, in real life, you pass out in thirty seconds. Maybe less. In fact, probably less. There's no way you can actually survive that long.

And that's what Victoria did. She passed out.

I threw the gun away in the wastebasket after tossing all the ammo she had in the gun out the window.

Edward caught his breath on the floor.

I looked outside and saw someone. Lee Lee*, one of my best friends at this shithole of a school, **(haha) **was staring at me. Obviously, she had been there a while.

"Holy. Fuck. Bella! That was fucking amazing! With the rock! And the glass! And Edward! And I called the police, by the way!" she screamed, running up and slamming into me with the force of a wrecking ball. And then she was sobbing. "I thought… she's fucking insane, Bella! I don't know how you stayed so calm!" Calm? I was having a fucking panic attack.

"Yeah, I was cool, wasn't I?" I chuckled. She nodded enthusiastically.

Then I saw an extremely tired and sweaty Edward rise from the floor.

"Go ahead," Lee Lee nudged me with her shoulder. "Tell him!"

I looked at her questioningly. She sighed sheepishly. "Alice told Jasper who told Brooklyn* who told Callie* who told Wendy* who told me. Not that it wasn't obvious anyway." **(See? I'm not desperate at all to get all those names in!)**

I laughed then ran over to hug Edward tightly. "Edward! I thought… you might have… never mind. The important thing is that you're alive."

"Yeah... you know what, Bella?" I looked at him. "When you think you're about to die, the most important things come to your mind. Who you care about, who you want to be, what you want to do… and I figured something out," he said firmly, though I could hear an undertone of nervousness.

"What?"

"I care about you, I want to be the man you love, and I want to kiss you. I know it's kind of sudden, but I think I've been in love with you for… well, when you got here. And almost being killed by a psycho gave me the courage I needed. You don't feel the same, I'm sure, and I don't want you to do anything out of pity. I just need to get it out there. I mean, feel free to do whatever you want and all that nonsense but I've gotta tell you! And you know—!"

I put a finger up to his lips.

"Edward?" I asked calmly.

"Yeah?"

"Shut the fuck up and kiss me already, will you?"

**In case you didn't read the author's note at the top, THIS WAS THE LAST CHAPTER. I was getting kind of bored with this story so I'm sorry for not dragging it out as long as humanly possible lol. I'm so, so sorry to anyone who didn't have their name put in the story, but there just weren't enough opportunities so I'm going to put them here:**

**Alice**

**PJ**

**Rachel **

**Morgan**

**Gabrielle**

**Megan**

**Vivian (Did I put you in? I don't remember…)**

**Thank you all for being fabulous and wonderful and for loving this story. In your mind, I know you all are concocting several different, better endings to this story, but none of them are written here. Review your heart out, not just for me but for everyone because I know they appreciate it. **

**Xo Becky**


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